FCM Expands Its Travel Management Services To The Academic Sector

FCM Travel Solutions is broadening its services to include the academic sector following the brand’s formal integration with Campus Travel.

Both FCM Travel Solutions and Campus Travel are part of the highly successful Flight Centre Travel Group corporate division.

The merging and rebrand of Campus Travel to FCM Travel Solutions, will see FCM specialise in travel management for large-market clients in the corporate, government and academic sectors.

The restructure follows a Flight Centre Travel Group analysis into how academic clients could be better serviced through TMC ‘business partnerships’ and will give educational organisations fast and easy access to the cutting-edge technology being produced by FCM’s global Innovation Labs.

As part of the changes, the Campus Travel brand name, which has been in market since 2002, will change to FCM.

The creation of FCM’s new academic specialist division is an exciting change that will strengthen FCM’s client portfolio with a range of universities and other educational organisations.

FCM Australia’s General Manager Melissa Elf, said this was an historic new chapter of growth for FCM with the change delivering a raft of benefits to staff and clients.

“Campus Travel has significant market-share within the academic sector including universities, university affiliates, research organisations, TAFEs, colleges and schools,” Melissa said.

“Campus is partnered with or booking travel for many of Australia’s universities, including Go8 universities. University travel programs are large, complex and require strategic program management, which is similar to a large enterprise or a state or federal government body.

“There are many travel management synergies across large market clients, in terms of the level of account management knowledge required to drive long-term efficiencies and change, the spread of operational expertise from the travel booking teams, understanding of the travel environment and policy of a large organisation, as well as the technology needed to support the thousands of travellers some of these clients have.

“From an operational and servicing perspective, it makes sense that FCM, which is our flagship large market corporate travel brand, extend its service offering to the academic sector alongside our other two client verticals of government and corporate.”

The Brisbane-based General Manager, who during her time with parent company Flight Centre Travel Group, has worked as an Account Manager for Campus Travel and knows the brand well, said it was a positive step forward for both brands.

“Under the new structure our academic customers will still work with the same travel teams they know and trust, but the brand name will change to FCM. The rebrand means our academic clients will be able to leverage the benefits of FCM’s market-leading technology and tap into the products available through our global network that spans more than 95 countries,” Melissa said.

“This is the start of a new era for FCM that I’m delighted to be a part of and to be leading with the help of both FCM and Campus Travel’s teams.”

The business will take a phased approach to the rebrand. Industry suppliers also will be kept up to date on the process.