Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), a company specialising in business travel management, has reported that its UK sales have increased by 1.6 percent to £627.8 million in the first six months of 2012, compared to the same period in 2011.
The business travel agency achieved a top listing on Buying Business Travel’s list of the UK’s top 50 travel management companies (TMC). In the year to date, the company has acquired around £60 million in new business, as well as retaining 97 percent of its active clients.
The company chief executive officer, Douglas Anderson, said, ‘Our first half performance for 2012 is solid given current economic uncertainty. Our customers are continuing to travel and are looking to manage their travel in a more cost-effective way by getting even greater value for what they spend.’
However, these results also signify a slowdown in business travel in the UK market, as in the same period last year the company reported an increase in its sales volume of 10 percent and growth in transactions of 5 percent.
The company, owned by US-based Carlson, has also reported a 54 percent increase in sales volume for the meetings and events division of its UK unit.
In 2012, the CWT Travel Management Institute published ‘Mastering the Maze: A Practical Guide to Air and Ground Savings’, a report offering details on how to save on a travel programme for corporate companies. The company’s CWT To Go, a mobile app, was also awarded the 2012 innovation of the year by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA)
