Business travel agency wagers on AI to improve performance as Chinese business trips rise

As China’s outgoing travel market is experiencing a resurgence, FCM Travel Greater China, a business-travel management firm, plans to invest in its artificial intelligence functions and provide its employees with the knowledge they need to get the most out of the systems. The company’s brand-new” AI centre of excellence” was established late in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou in an effort to follow and incorporate AI into its functions. According to Calvin Xie, the general manager of FCM Travel Greater China, the city was the ideal destination because of its large pool of talent, proximity to Hong Kong, and its position in the Greater Bay Area ( GBA ). Artificial intelligence is a technique that allows businesses to work more effectively, reducing period that can be used for “high price” projects like providing better customer experience, he said. It is not as easy as” merely doubling the number of people”, said Xie. ‘ We want a lean operation, we do n’t want to end up with a large army,’ says Calvin Xie, general manager of FCM Travel Greater China. Photo: SCMP Handout” We want a slim operation”, he added. ” We do n’t want to end up with a large army. It’s more about how we will transform our workforce to get]employees ] equipped with the skills they need for the next decade” .FCM is the flagship corporate travel arm of Australia’s Flight Centre Travel Group. It has practices in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Guangzhou and Hong Kong agencies provide greater collaboration for organization in the bay area financial area, according to Xie. ” We do n’t have a plan to expand our offices further. Given]FCM’s ] business nature, we do n’t need to open offices in all the cities, but we do want to maintain our presence in the tier one cities”, he said added. In Hong Kong, a brain dump resulted from the coronavirus pandemic, making it challenging for the organization to find and keep skills. However, he continued, recruiting is simpler these days, especially on the mainland, where many young professionals are eager to work for global corporations. Do we need more powerful individuals to join us, though? I think the answer is yes, especially in the Greater Bay Area”, said Xie. As both corporate and leisure travel are rebounding across China, business is booming for the team. Outgoing travel increased by nearly fivefold from the previous month’s end to the same level as it did a year before, according to a report released by Sabre Market Intelligence in June. According to the report, fresh places are emerging while traditional favorites like South Korea and Japan remain popular. Australia and Malaysia have moved up seven areas and moved up from 18th to eighth place respectively in the list of top 10 destinations for Taiwanese travelers. According to a statement released last year by the Global Business Travel Association, China’s firm travel expenditure increased 12.6 % year over year to reach US$ 36 billion, but it was still significantly below pre-pandemic levels of US$ 38 billion. By the end of this year, it is anticipated to be worth US$ 4.1 billion. There has seen a rise in the number of business travelers putting some leisure time on hold at the end of their travels, a practice that some in the market refers to as bleisure. Due to the difficulty of obtaining permits and the slowness of international air travel compared to prior pandemic rates, business travel has increased by about 40 % in “bleisure” journeys in FM. China’s company visitors most often stay within Asia, with Singapore position as the leading place, according to Flight Centre’s information. Tokyo, Bangkok, Seoul, and Frankfurt were the other most popular sites. Singapore is continuing to be the top destination for Taiwanese business travelers in 2024, its charm being strengthened by the January-agreed 30-day visa-free entry agreement.