ORGANISE BUSINESS ITINERARY

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Confirm the purpose of domestic and overseas travel,
budgets, meeting requirements and traveller preferences.
2. Identify points of contact and names of contact persons in
accordance with planned itinerary
3. Make arrangements for meetings and confirm in
accordance with planned itinerary
4. Prepare daily itineraries with appointments, arrival and
departure times, accommodation and other details in
accordance with travel purpose
5. Source documents and support material for meetings and
prepare within designated timelines
6. Prepare itinerary in accordance with meeting requirements,
travel demands and occupational health and safety
requirements for the traveller
7. Dispatch itinerary and meeting documents to the traveller
within designated timelines
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
8. Make bookings in accordance with organizational
policies and procedures for business travel
9. Identify, arrange and record travel documents, in
accordance with itinerary and individual
requirements
10. Confirm travel arrangements, check
confirmation documents and dispatch to the
traveller within designated timelines
11. Negotiate and confirm alternative arrangements
in response to changed requirements
12. Negotiate and confirm communication
arrangements in accordance with organizational
requirements
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
13.Check and confirm methods of payment
14. Make credit arrangements in accordance
with organizational policy and procedures.
 CONFIRM PURPOSE OF DOMESTIC AND
OVERSEAS TRAVEL

 Organizational practices for making travel

arrangements for staff vary in many ways. In
some instances, the executive may make
his/her own arrangements or the secretary
may make them for him/her.
 It is very important to be fully aware of the
correct procedures to follow in your
organization if you are asked to make travel
arrangements.
 CONFIRM PURPOSE OF DOMESTIC
AND OVERSEAS TRAVEL

 A factor that is to be take into consideration when

planning travel is the effect that a long trip will have
on the traveller through different time zones. Jetlag
causes physical upset, such as fatigue to the
traveller.
 For this reason, when you are planning, allow
adequate rest period following the arrival and
return. For international travel, it is also important
to inquire from travel agent about special limitations
that are imposed on travellers.
 If your manager is travelling to the country for the
first time, you may want to obtain special
information that relates to the country being visited.
 CONFIRM PURPOSE OF DOMESTIC
AND OVERSEAS TRAVEL
 Regardless of whether you make travel arrangements directly, or
use a travel agent, you need to be well informed about travel
services in order to schedule flights that meet your manager’s
preference and time.
 When you receive a request to arrange travel, there are certain
details of which you should be aware
• How the traveller wishes to travel – air, sea, road
•Purpose of travel-whether it is for vacation or business
•What place/places the traveller wishes to visit
• The dates of travel and the number of full days which must be
spent in each place
• The class of travel to which the person concerned is entitled
• Special requirements – smoking, non-smoking
• The airport from which the traveller would prefer to depart and
arrive
• If overnight accommodation is involved, the type of hotel, location,
accommodation and special requirements
 CONFIRM PURPOSE OF DOMESTIC
AND OVERSEAS TRAVEL
• How the hotel will be paid – company, cash,
cheque, credit card
• Special requirements in relation to diet
•What transportation will be required on
arrival or departure
 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
Itinerary:
 A programme of travel arrangements which
gives dates and times of travel and departure
for a person who is about to undertake a
journey.
Budget:
 an estimate of revenue and expenditure
that one will incur.
Sundry:
 Minor expenses that may arise that would
not have been listed or expected.
 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
 Debit card: This is similar in look to a credit
card and allows the payee to withdraw the
money directly from the account.
 Credit card: This is a card that allows
persons to purchase goods on credit and for
them to pay a sum to the bank at the end of
the month
 Traveller’s cheques: These are made out in
the local currency of a country and presented
as cash when visiting
 MEETING REQUIREMENTS AND
TRAVELLER PREFERENCES
 Before you prepare a travel itinerary you
need to find out from the travellers their
exact requirements and needs.
 They may have preferred a route, perhaps
one that they may have not used before or
one that they know and enjoy.
 They will certainly have a particular day or
time of day in mind. Equally, they might
have a preferred means of transportation and
may not want to travel in another way.
 For example, some people are frightened of
air travel and this must be taken into
consideration.
 IDENTIFY POINTS OF CONTACT AND
CONTACT PERSON
 When planning for travel, it is important that the
persons have all or most of the information. Being
thorough in the planning and preparation stages
will help to ensure that the visit is successful.
 The names of the persons whom you are expected
to ask for when you arrive at the venue should also
be known and written down.
 These may not necessarily be the people whom
you are visiting, but they may be in attendance at a
reception party, which the travellers may be
required to attend.
 Embarrassment can be caused if someone arrives
late for a meeting or is delayed because of the
details being unclear
 MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR
MEETINGS
 Whenever arrangements are made for a
meeting, it is important that these are
confirmed and put in writing.
 This confirmation may take the form of a
memorandum, letter or alternatively, it may just
require a note to be placed on the desk of the
person who asked you to carry out the task.
 When confirming a booking, remember to
include all the necessary information. When
confirming the place or venue of the visit, make
sure that you have chosen somewhere suitable.
 The venue should accommodate the number of
persons involved and should also be convenient
 PREPARE DAILY ITINERARIES WITH
APPOINTMENTS,
An itinerary as we said earlier gives a summary
of the details and plans for a visit, including the
times, accommodation and methods of travel.
 If a visit is long and complicated, the itinerary
will be very detailed and might consist of many
pages. You may be required to make travel and
accommodation arrangements for visitors to
your organization.
 Your manager or other members of staff may
have to travel during the course of his or her
duties and you may be asked to arrange the
travel and accommodation in accordance with
his/her requirements.
 ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE TIMES
 You should clearly state on the itinerary exactly where the
travellers should meet in order to begin their journey. Always
make sure that it is at an obvious point that cannot be
confused with any other.
 Make sure that you ask the travellers to arrive at the point of
departure well before you actually need to leave: the rest of
the itinerary could be affected and you might miss vital travel
connections if somebody is late.
 Remember to state the time of departure by using the 24hour
clock. This will avoid confusion arriving in the a.m. and p.m.
 The point of arrival is just as important as the point of
departure, particularly, if there will be someone waiting for the
traveller(s) at the other end of the journey.
 In these situations, you should ask the person meeting the
travellers to decide on a meeting point. He or she will know
the local area and will be able to suggest a suitable meeting
point.
 24-HOUR CLOCK
Businesses use the 24-hour clock for
recording the times. This is often used to
record the time of arrival or departure and
the time of a pre-scheduled appointment.
 The 24hour clock is designed to show the
time in major countries around the world.
 It is extremely important to know how to use
this clock, as it will be a major guide in
ensuring that appointments and days are
kept.
 PREPARING ACCOMMODATION
 It is extremely important that you make
telephone calls and ask for the
accommodation required. You should not
forget to specify whether you need
single/double/twin bedded rooms, private
bath, and air conditioning.
 You may also need to ask whether there are
special facilities for holding meetings or
entertaining people for a social or dinner.
When giving dates, it is necessary to state
the date of arrival and the date of the
morning of departure
 PREPARING ACCOMMODATION
 Here are some areas that you should pay
special attention to when preparing
accommodation:
 Reservations – late/early morning arrival

 Type of room- single, double, twin, without

bath, shower
 Diet Facilities for disabled

 Entertainment

 Payment

 Conference/meeting facilities
 PREPARING ACCOMMODATION
 Other itinerary details in relation to travel
may include:
 Transport arrangements

 Arrangements for meals

 Required documentation for each

appointment
 Contact names and numbers of all
personnel involved
 Suggested leisure activities
 SOURCE DOCUMENTS AND SUPPORT MATERIALS
FOR MEETINGS
 When planning the schedule, you will need to
consider the resources or materials that you will
require once you arrive and the best location at
which they can be used.
 If you need specific equipment for presentations,
it is expected that the organization will provide it.
It is important to source documents and support
materials ahead of time to prevent any rush, and
possibly waste of time.
 Leave yourself adequate time to get what the
organization might not have and, also, to show a
sense of responsibility. You should always avoid
last minute
 SOURCE DOCUMENTS AND SUPPORT
MATERIALS FOR MEETINGS
Equipment and supplies for meetings may include:
 Overhead transparencies

 Electronic presentations
 Promotional brochures

 Product samples

 Catalogues

 Work completed for the client

 Product prototypes/samples

 Business proposals

 Tenders

 Reports

 Contracts

 Meeting papers

 Presentation kits

 Office supplies

 Information technology (e.g. laptop, computer software)

 Telecommunication equipment (e.g. mobile phone, teleconferencing

equipment)
PRPEPARE ITINERARY IN ACCORDANCE WITH MEETING REQUIREMENTS

 An itinerary is usually a combination of travel

and appointment schedules. However, the
itinerary and the schedule of confirmed
appointments can be prepared as two
separate lists.
 An itinerary shows when, where and how the
traveller will go. It should include the day,
date, time of departure, name of hotel/motel,
for each section of the trip.
 Details about confirmed appointments should
include the day, time, with whom, where,
purpose, papers needed and other
reminders.
 PRPEPARE ITINERARY IN ACCORDANCE
WITH MEETING REQUIREMENTS
 In such a case, a concise version containing only
essential information could be printed onto a card,
so the traveller can carry this around. Travel
demands may include:
 Mode of travel

 Class of travel

 Transport timetables

 Connections and transfers

 Time differences

 Budget

 Available accommodation

 Class of accommodation

 Time management
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
REQUIREMENTS
 When people visit other countries their
health and safety has to be guaranteed. This
is the case even if someone is visiting for one
morning or one day and not for an extended
period of time.
 When arranging your schedule for a visit you
must consider the health and safety
requirements, particularly if they are using
any equipment
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
REQUIREMENTS
Traveller occupational health and safety may
include:
 Time between appointments

 Limit on total appointments in any one day

 Travelling time to reach venues

 Time for connections and transfers

 Limit on total amount of travel per day

 Rest periods

 Lunch breaks

 Leisure time
DISPATCH ITINERARY AND MEETING DOCUMENTS
TO THE TRAVELLER WITHIN TIMELINES
 As soon as the travel and hotel
accommodations and the appointments have
been confirmed, you can now type the final
itinerary.
 A step-by-step plan that is complete will
allow your manager to know where to go and
when and what materials will be needed by
referring to his/her itinerary.
 Type an appropriate heading, use the day
and date in chronological order as the major
divisions and list the entries under such
headings in order according to time.
DISPATCH ITINERARY AND MEETING DOCUMENTS
TO THE TRAVELLER WITHIN TIMELINES
As you make arrangements for trip, you
should compile a complete list of items that
your manager will need on the trip.
 Personally hand your manger the tickets,
hotel confirmations, the passport and the
health certificate, if it is needed.
 Put the papers for each appointment in a
separate envelope or folder. Number each
one in consecutive order to match the order
of the appointments
 MAKE BOOKINGS
 It is important when making travel
arrangements and accommodation that
careful and systematic planning is done to
ensure that action is timely and nothing is
overlooked.
 With the advent of technology, no longer will
one take days to make bookings and
arrangements for travel planning.
 MAKE BOOKINGS
 Bookings may include:
• On line – most agencies and business places have now
made access and life much easier by allowing you to go on
the Internet and make arrangements for your travel. This
can ease the pressure as it allows one to make and confirm
arrangements immediately
• Telephone - this is another easy way of making bookings
as you can call the agencies and businesses, make the
arrangements, and then you are told to come in and pick
up the documents that have been prepared. There is an
additional charge for this service.
• Travel agent – this is the most popular in making travel
arrangements for businesses. The information is usually
given to the agency and they make all the preparation and
even prepare an itinerary for the traveller. There is also an
additional charge for this service.
 IDENTIFY, ARRANGE AND RECORD TRAVEL
DOCUMENTS AND INDIVIDUAL REQUIREMENTS
 As with all other tasks which are carried out
by individuals within an organization, it is
necessary to record all booking
arrangements. This information must be
recorded accurately and clearly.
 When confirming a booking, you should
always keep a copy of the documentation for
yourself or for retrieval at a later date.
 Once you have identified and arranged the
information for travel you need to document
this information in the appropriate log.
These logs include:
 IDENTIFY, ARRANGE AND RECORD TRAVEL
DOCUMENTS AND INDIVIDUAL REQUIREMENTS

Bookings log
 A bookings log is simply a list of the
requirements that have been met. This can be
a very simple form that is completed each time
a booking is made. It will provide evidence that
the booking has been made and by whom
Reservation slips
 The organiser of the meeting may require a
reservation slip or visit to confirm that the
person attending actually requires the place. A
copy of the reservation slip should be kept so
that you have written confirmation that you
made the booking.
 IDENTIFY, ARRANGE AND RECORD TRAVEL
DOCUMENTS AND INDIVIDUAL REQUIREMENTS

Diary
 Any booking that you make should be
entered in your own diary, as well as in that
of the person who requested you to carry out
the task.
 As soon as the booking is made and
confirmed, you should enter the details in the
diaries.
 This will prevent double booking and will act
as a reminder to both you and the person
who confirmed this event.
 IDENTIFY, ARRANGE AND RECORD TRAVEL
DOCUMENTS AND INDIVIDUAL REQUIREMENTS

Letter of confirmation
 This letter may be to a hotel or to confirm
attendance at a meeting. You should always
file a copy of this letter in case any problems
are encountered in the future.
Individual requirements
 If a person is to travel abroad, there are
certain requirements that are to be met and
certain documents that are needed.
 It is important to allow adequate time to
obtain these if the traveller does not already
have them. Individual documents may include:
 IDENTIFY, ARRANGE AND RECORD TRAVEL
DOCUMENTS AND INDIVIDUAL REQUIREMENTS

Passport:
 once a passport is needed, an application
form has to be completed by the traveller. It
must be certified by the Passport Officer, any
Resident Magistrate, Justice of the Peace or
any other accredited and ranked person in
society.
 The completed form is then submitted
together with two passport photographs and
a fee, to the appropriate office for
processing.
 IDENTIFY, ARRANGE AND RECORD TRAVEL
DOCUMENTS AND INDIVIDUAL REQUIREMENTS
 Visa/s: there are certain countries that require entry using a
visa; these are obtained through their embassies or
consular office. Usually the documents required to obtain a
visitor’s visa are:
 The following may assist the process:

 One passport sized photo

 Employment Letter

 Letter of Invitation

 Bank statements Land or house titles

 Car titles

 Proof of professional or family “ties’ – these ties are to

show that you have significant
 assets which would make it hard for you to leave and not
return to your country.
 IDENTIFY, ARRANGE AND RECORD TRAVEL
DOCUMENTS AND INDIVIDUAL REQUIREMENTS
 No visa is required when travelling to the English and
Dutch speaking Caribbean islands. A French visa is
required when visiting the French islands, for example,
Martinique.
 For South America, no visas are required for Brazil and
Argentina.
 Insurance: an agent such as a bank or travel agent can
arrange directly with an insurance company to cover for
personal accident, medical treatment and loss of baggage.
 Health / medical documents: sometimes it is required that
you be inoculated against a certain disease before
entering a particular country.
 Here again, you should be informed of this by your travel
agency and/or by that particular embassy and obtain the
relevant certificates.
 IDENTIFY, ARRANGE AND RECORD TRAVEL
DOCUMENTS AND INDIVIDUAL REQUIREMENTS
 Travel itinerary: this gives the schedule for
the travel and states the times, dates, places
and persons involved
 Time-tables/Maps: a collection of maps and
timetables will give up-to-date routes
frequently travelled. This will be of help
when planning schedules.
 CONFIRM TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS AND
DOCUMENTS

 Confirmation documents may include, but

are not limited to:
• E-ticket
• Paper ticket/s
• Travel vouchers
• Electronic or printed air-line itinerary
• Accommodation confirmation e-mail,
facsimile or letter
• Travel agent itinerar
 CONFIRM TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
AND DOCUMENTS
 Arrange the material that you have collected in
the order of time and date of trip, as included in
the itinerary. The method of travel has to be
decided.
 Although these days travel overseas is usually
by air it may, occasionally, be combined with
road or sea for various reasons.
 When the itinerary has been approved, hotel
and flight reservations are made together with
arrangements for transport to and from the
airport and hotel.
 Copies of letters making hotel bookings should
be placed in a travel folder.
 CONFIRM TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
AND DOCUMENTS
Travel documents include:
• Passport
• visa if necessary
• health certificates
• Insurance
 These should all be placed in a separate
wallet together with tickets and currency, so
that they are available for the journey.
 NEGOTIATE AND CONFIRM
ALTERNATE ARRANGEMENTS
 Sometimes alternate arrangements will be
made. You must ensure that these will be
done as early as possible so as to avoid any
setbacks that may occur.
 Once you have contacted all the persons
involved, it is then important that you make
any adjustments in your file folder so that
you will have these as proof of action taken.
 NEGOTIATE AND CONFIRM
COMMUNICATION ARRANGEMENTS
 Once you have confirmed arrangements with the
hotels and other areas of importance, it is very
important that you seek to confirm methods of
communication that will be accessed by you the
traveller.
 These methods of communication should allow
you to communicate both locally and
internationally.
 It is of no use for a traveller to find himself/herself
booked in a hotel where he/she is unable to
communicate with staff and meeting persons, as is
necessary.
 This may prove to be quite dangerous, especially if
you find that an emergency situation has arisen.
 NEGOTIATE AND CONFIRM
COMMUNICATION ARRANGEMENTS

Communication arrangements may include:

• Points of contact
• Mobile access
• E-mail and
• Facsimile access
 CHECK AND CONFIRM METHODS OF
PAYMENT
 It is important that once confirmation has been
made, you know the company’s policy on payment.
 This is very important as this will help to facilitate
the process.
Methods of payment may include:
• Accounts established with the organization
• Purchase order
• Company credit cards
• Traveller pays and is reimbursed at a later date
• The organization provides the traveller with a cash
advance
• Special arrangement made between the
organization and individual suppliers
 MAKE CREDIT ARRANGEMENTS
During your travel cash may not always be at
your disposal everywhere you go.
 As a result of this you may find that you
have to arrange credit with individuals and
businesses.
 This will, of course, be cleared before you
end your travel.
MAKE CREDIT ARRANGEMENTS
Credit arrangements may include:
• Cab charge
• Debit / credit cards
• Currency
• Traveller’s cheques
• Electronic transfer