The corporate travel market is on the rise, and projections are optimistic. According to the Global Business Travel Association (GTBA), an entity that represents the sector at a global level, annual spending on corporate travel in Brazil is expected to reach US$30.3 billion in 2024, growing at a rate of 6% per year. Companies understanding the role of proximity to customers and suppliers as the main driver for traction, scale and business expansion. Meanwhile, the market is increasingly seeking solutions that optimize and generate financial and operational efficiency for travel management.
These solutions go far beyond simple booking platforms. They assume the strategic role of business partners, helping corporations to optimize their processes and, above all, reduce costs. In Brazil, one of the main representatives of this sector is Kontrip, a pioneer and market leader in travel management for medium and large companies, with more than 5 thousand customers.
travel tech was created in 2017 by the Kontik Group, which has been operating in the corporate travel sector for over 70 years, with the mission of democratizing access to technologies that, until then, were the privilege of only the largest companies in the country. The platform offers complete management of corporate travel, from planning to execution, all centrally.
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Efficiency and cost reduction
Kontrip CEO, Alexandre Berbel, explains that the platform was developed with a focus on efficiency and cost reduction. “The objective is to allow companies to focus on their core activities, while we manage the entire travel aspect, from airline tickets and accommodation to car rental and insurance,” he says. With more than 100,000 hotels, 100 airlines and 100 car rental companies integrated into the system, it allows for a fluid experience, without bureaucracy and with specialized service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
One of Kontrip’s biggest differentiators, highlights Berbel, is its ease of use. “We offer an intuitive platform, where the customer can resolve everything quickly, from purchasing to travel management. With a few clicks, he can cancel, reschedule or book an international flight quickly and conveniently”, says the executive.
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Another strength of Travel Tech, he adds, is counting on the strength of the Kontik Group, one of the largest players in the country’s corporate travel sector, in negotiations with airlines, hotel chains and other service providers, which results in more advantageous conditions for customers.
Furthermore, he highlights that, as it is an intuitive tool that brings agility to customers, tasks that currently require a lot of time, such as searching in different places, booking and paying separately for a flight and a hotel, at Kontrip the customer can do all of this in a few minutes and safely. “This agility saves our customers’ time”, highlights the executive.”
Insights valiosos
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In addition to practicality, the platform offers a wide range of reports and dashboards that allow companies to monitor their travel expenses. “Our platform generates valuable insights, for example, about the most visited destinations, the main suppliers used, the employees who travel the most. This helps companies make strategic decisions and further optimize their expenses”, explains the CEO. With this, corporations can identify bottlenecks and savings opportunities, such as controlling the expenses of different departments or comparing costs between frequent destinations.
Another important difference of the platform, points out Berbel, is the agile and personalized service to customers. “We offer 24/7 service, without bureaucracy. The customer sends a message via WhatsApp and, within a few minutes, we resolve the issue”, he explains. This close service is essential to ensure that companies keep their travel operations running efficiently and without interruptions.
Furthermore, Kontrip stands out for its strong concern with security. The platform uses advanced authentication and encryption technologies to ensure that all customer information is protected. “We have certifications such as ISO 27001 and PCI, which attest to the security of the data we manage. We know that, for companies, security is a key factor, and we are always improving our technologies to ensure the protection of our customers”, explains Berbel.
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Plan to grow 150%
As part of the Kontik Group, it has the support of one of the largest corporate travel players in Brazil, which earns more than R$2 billion per year and has been investing in an ambitious plan to expand its Travel Tech. “We are projecting 150% growth for next year”, says the executive, who arrived at the company in August to lead this process, after having worked at one of the largest technology companies in the world and one of the main airlines in Brazil .
The plan involves opening new offices in strategic cities. The company, which is headquartered in São Paulo, has just opened a branch in Porto Alegre, will open another in Belo Horizonte, in November, and at the beginning of 2025 will also have units in Curitiba, Goiânia, Recife and Macaé (RJ). “We are investing both in technology and in the regionalization of service. We want to be physically closer to our customers”, says Berbel.
The company is also working on a new phase of the platform, which will be launched in early 2025. According to the CEO, this technological evolution will bring new disruption to the market, offering solutions that are currently only accessible to larger corporations. “We are developing an even more powerful and innovative version of our platform. Our goal is to offer medium and large companies the same tools used by the largest companies in the world”, he reveals.
