In-house travel management is a popular alternative to working with a Travel Management Company, but it’s not a great option for everyone. Here’s what you need to know about business travel management alternatives, so you can pick your ideal fit for your SME.
Last month, we started a series on corporate travel programs, both traditional programs and the alternatives. One of those alternatives is an in-house travel program. As more and more companies opt for managing business travel internally, as opposed to working with a Travel Management Company (TMC), this might be an option that you’re considering for your own team.
There are a few reasons why a self-managed corporate travel program can be appealing. In many cases, it provides flexibility, reduced complexity and Traveler autonomy. However, for in-house travel management to truly be effective and meet your needs in terms of travel budget and Duty of Care, Travel Managers and Travel Arrangers must be realistic about their expectations and thoughtfully approach their in-house program’s design.
Let’s take a look at what in-house travel management entails, where it succeeds, where it struggles and how to run a travel program without a TMC.
Key Takeaways
- In-house travel management is viable, but not simple.
- Success depends on clear workflows, strong communication and realistic capacity.
- Modern travel expectations require a balanced approach:
autonomy + support + thoughtful design. - Companies should revisit this self-managed corporate travel program model regularly as travel patterns evolve.
What In-House Travel Management Means Today
In the past, in-house travel management—managing travel internally as an SME versus outsourcing the work—might’ve felt a little chaotic. It was a DIY free-for-all that could have proven more headache and hindrance than helpful.
However, that’s not the case today. Thanks to a variety of technologies and resources at your disposal, managing business travel internally is easier and more streamlined than ever. It’s also particularly a favorite among tech companies and SMEs who prioritize flexibility among their teams and Travelers.
In-house travel management is a good fit for organizations wherein travel is low-volume and/or predictable. The organization’s Travelers are typically self-sufficient and may be equipped to make a variety of choices autonomously. The organization also typically has internal teams that have the bandwidth to support travel logistics.
Truly successful in-house travel management will encompass the organization’s approved booking tools, plenty of support for Travelers, proper Duty of Care, and data and reporting tools that help teams make travel-related decisions in the future.
How to Manage Business Travel Without a TMC
If managing business travel internally seems more appealing to you than working with a TMC, you’ll want to start the internal travel management process with a few key steps.
1. Select intuitive booking tools.
With today’s wealth of travel-booking technology for SMEs, don’t just rely on the standard, consumer-facing booking tools. Look for intuitive resources that support NDC, Traveler flexibility and autonomy, and mobile use.
2. Build Lightweight Internal Workflows and Prioritize Simplicity
Make the process as streamlined and easy as possible for everyone involved with internal travel management. Keeping things internal should not unnecessarily burden any one team member. Approvals, communication and creating Traveler profiles should all be easy, not a chore.
3. Create Clear Guidance
Ensure Traveler policy compliance and Duty of Care by creating clear guidelines around travel and travel booking, and then communicating those guidelines often and thoroughly. From where Travelers should book, to how they report expenses to how and where they pay for travel costs, there should never be any question.
4. Establish Who Does What
When Travelers are on the go, who handles any necessary cancellations? Who helps with travel disruptions? Who makes necessary travel changes? Assign a point person and procedures before the first trip.
5. Survey Travelers
Of course, the people who will know best whether or not your in-house travel program is working will be the Travelers themselves. Survey them regularly and often to understand where your efforts are working and where they’re not. Then, remove friction and adjust accordingly.
6. Consider Partial Outsourcing
Did you know that travel management isn’t all or nothing? You can outsource small parts of your travel program without outsourcing the entire thing. Consider outsourcing more complex travel needs, such as those related to travel risk, international travel or support that’s needed outside of your team’s normal business hours.
Benefits of In-House Travel Management
There are many benefits of managing business travel yourself. Your Travelers enjoy greater flexibility. You can implement changes quickly without waiting for the third-party help of a TMC. You may be able to reduce service fees and external overhead.
Overall, in-house travel management is a great fit for fast-moving, flexible and tech-forward company cultures.
Challenges and Risks of an In-House Model
That said, in-house travel management isn’t perfect.
Internal teams may struggle to provide support for Travelers outside of normal business hours, or they may not be adept at handling Traveler safety and monitoring, or complex itineraries. Additionally, internal teams may not be as suited to collecting and analyzing Traveler data. (That’s why one survey from early 2025, of companies with more than 10,000 employees, showed that nearly 90% of respondents use a TMC as their travel data source, via Business Travel News).
As such, common issues that teams often see when implementing an in-house travel program include increased leakage, lower Traveler satisfaction, limited supplier leverage and overall higher total cost if not careful. Furthermore, scalability can become difficult if an SME starts out with an in-house model and then their global reach and travel volume grow.
When to Keep Travel In-House… and When to Reconsider
Internal travel management may be a good fit for your team if your travel volume is low, Travelers are comfortable managing their own trips and internal teams can realistically support Travelers’ needs.
A TMC or hybrid, partial-outsourcing approach, though, may be more suitable if your Duty of Care requirements increase, teams are traveling internationally more frequently, operational support is limited or priorities shift in a way that makes it difficult to internally meet them.
In-house travel management offers freedom, flexibility and control—but requires structure to succeed. Managing business travel without a TMC is possible when companies stay intentional, listen to Travelers and evolve with their needs. However, there is no single “right” model; the right approach is the one that fits your culture, resources and ambitions.
Keep an eye out for our next article in this series, where we’ll examine what it means to offer a tech-first travel program. In the meantime, consider going back and reading our first installment in this series: Do You Need a Flexible Corporate Travel Program?
JTB Business Travel may reference reporting or research published by Northstar; however, all commentary and recommendations in this article are independently developed.
