Even as borders begin to reopen in Asia and Europe, the threat of Covid-19 remains, and the U.S. and Latin America continue to struggle with spiking infection rates. In this environment, companies are considering whether and how to manage their return to travel.

With CEOs awaiting recommendations, travel managers need to work with HR, legal and risk management departments to determine the liabilities of resuming travel, whether and how long trip approval requirements should be in place, how to access government regulations around travel, how to improve communication with travelers and what processes a program needs to take to reduce corporate liability while ensuring traveler safety.

Even as companies grapple with the financial impact of Covid-19, duty of care has ousted cost control as the primary program driver. As companies source suppliers and drive bookings to preferred partners, they are looking for control—in supplier hygiene standards, social distancing policies and personal protection protocols such as mask requirements—to meet their new duty of care standards. Ensuring travelers access the proper resources may change program structure.