World Monitor Mag, Digitalisation WM_June 2019 web | Page 34

EXPERT OPINION
Business travel
and events in Kazakhstan
Tourism is one of the prioritized sectors of the economy along with fuel and
energy, agriculture, manufacturing, trade and logistics. Foreign tourists have
a growing interest in Kazakhstan. We have talked to Oksana Serebrennikova,
General Director of International Travel Plus about the current situation in
the market and potential for the development.
You are already 13 years in the
market. Let's talk about the history
of the creation of International Travel
Plus and the brand BCD travel. Please
tell us how it all began, about business
directions, and what is the difference
between Travel Plus and BCD?
Oksana
Serebrennikova
General Director,
BCD Travel
It all started in 2006 when the company
International Travel plus was organized.
The main focus of our business at that
time was work with corporate clients.
Therefore, in 2007, an exclusive partnership
agreement was signed with BCD travel, the
largest global travel management company
operating in 109 countries of the world.
This cooperation has allowed us to gain
access to international experience and the
latest technologies while our customers
received world-class service, products
and expertise. So now we work not just
as an agency that organizes logistics for
business trips, but as consultants who help
manage travel budgets and ensure cost
transparency and passenger safety.
Not so long ago a new brand appeared in
our portfolio – BCD meetings & events,
which is also a franchise of a global
company for organizing business and
sporting events. We held the first event in
Kazakhstan in 2008, and today our MICE
division organizes about 200 events per
month, including meetings, seminars,
cycle meetings, conferences, congresses,
incentive trips, teambuilding and corporate
events.
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So today we have three brands and four
areas of activity. We use our brand and
legal name International Travel Plus for
retail sales and reception of tourists in
Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
Tell us more about how you help
customers save on travel?
We have a whole technology. First, detailed
consolidation of information for analysis.
For this there is a set of reports and graphs
that we provide to the customer. Further,
the use of key parameters that can be used
to estimate, for example, ATP (Average
Ticket Price), which we compare with the
benchmark.
Following analysis of the indicators that
affect the average price – how advance
tickets are redeemed, how flexible tariffs
are used, how travel policy is observed,
and so on. All this makes it possible to
calculate the potential savings and plan
ways to achieve it. As a result, costs can be
reduced to 30% of the total travel budget.
For some corporations, these amounts are
tens of millions of tenge. Of course, this
requires teamwork, working together with
the customer. I feel great pleasure when we
manage to achieve significant results.
Most often, travel management services
are in demand at representative offices of
foreign companies, since in their practice
such tools have been used for a long time
and in different markets. But I would really
like to bring this expertise to a large number