| Date | Category |
|---|---|
| 12th December 2023 | Member Update |
SUPC is pleased to announce it has recently issued a travel update to members covering all you need to know about the latest travel trends. This includes insight into the Procurement Bill, the upcoming new Travel Framework and an exclusive interview with UKUPC awarded framework supplier, Diversity Travel.
Key takeaways:
- New SUPC Travel Framework – will be contracting and preparing to go live in January 2024, but there will be an overlap with the previous framework to support the contracting period.
- New Procurement Act October 2024 – all tendering started, and contracts that are awarded before the new regulations come into effect, will remain exempt from new process requirement until further notice.
- Diversity Travel offered insight into student group travel – Many EU schools/Universities are now opting to travel within the EU to avoid the need for visas and additional costs. This is impacting the number of places available for UK students to travel to, with less availability and higher prices due to increased demand
- Air traffic control – In August 2023, a high-profile Air Traffic Control breakdown led to the cancellation of over 2,000 flights in the UK. Here at SUPC, we promptly contacted suppliers to assess the impact on members.
- British Travel Association on business travel – business travel contributes £27.7bn per annum to UK GVA (Gross Value Add). For airlines, business travellers account for 15-20% of their customer base. On our railways, business travellers provide over £1bn.
Interested in this topic?
Please feel free to feedback if you found Travel News useful and would be interested in receiving quarterly newsletters and further updates. If you have any particular themes you’d like us to touch on in future issues please let us know. Contact SUPC Category Manager Clare Whitfield at c.whitfield@reading.ac.uk or supc@reading.ac.uk.