SINGAPORE, 10 January 2022: FCM a leading travel management firm in the Asia Pacific, says it is launching a fee-free scheme for startups and mid-sized companies in Singapore to help them weather the Covid-19 pandemic.
The travel management company says it will fill the gap left behind by smaller agencies in Singapore and plans to roll out the initiative in Malaysia and Hong Kong when borders reopen for international travel, possibly later this year.
“We are launching a fee-free travel management programme in Singapore because we believe it’s the right thing to do to support startups and mid-sized companies,” said FCM Travel’s director of marketing Henry Jones, who heads the company’s SME travel division in Asia. “Often, these companies have similar business travel needs as MNCs and large national companies but are held back by greater budgetary considerations. They also have less negotiating power for group deals with suppliers as compared to large organisations. This is our way of supporting them – providing cost-effective rates and full travel management services inclusive of technology support at no fees.”
Fee-free business travel for all flight and hotel bookings is the core item to assist startup companies, but FCM will also help with systems and technology implementation at no cost, completed within two weeks.
Services included within the programme are FCM’s 24/7 expert agent support; monthly reporting; always available duty of care via safety and risk functions through FCM’s mobile technology to account for the well-being and location of every traveller; and online booking capabilities.
With the reopening of the Singapore borders and Vaccinated Travel Lane arrangements with several markets in Q4 of 2021, business travel is showing the first signs of recovery. The pandemic had also left many startups and mid-sized companies stranded with the closure of several local agencies, which prompted FCM to step up and fill in the gaps left behind by these players.
“We recognise that the travel landscape is changed, which has created a challenging trading environment for some companies, especially budget-conscious clients,” said FCM vice-president of customer success in Asia Vicki Parris. “This initiative allows us to offer a helping hand to more Singaporean startups and mid-sized companies as they continue to grow. Furthermore, we want to continue to be able to provide more customers with the FCM trademark personalised service regardless of the size of a company.”
