by Kevin O’Malley, partner and founder, New M.O.
Over the past year, I have found myself involved in more conversations about trust than at any point in my career. Having spent more than three decades in managed travel, that is interesting because discussions around transparency and relationships are nothing new. Corporate customers have always placed high value in having trust in their key partners.
What feels different today is the number of people asking how decisions are made, who benefits, and whether the industry is moving in the right direction.
Putting buyers at the center
When Mike Qualantone and I launched New M.O., one of the first things we did was establish a client advisory board made up of experienced corporate travel buyers. They sit at the center of everything we do, and their input has been invaluable. Together, we developed what we call the Core Tenets of Managed Travel. The first of those tenets is Trusted Partnerships because the group believes successful travel programs depend on confidence between customers and the companies that support them.
That confidence has become harder to maintain as the industry has become more complex. Buyers are navigating conversations around content fragmentation, continuous pricing, direct booking strategies, servicing models, AI, personalization, and changing commercial relationships. Most understand why these changes are happening. Suppliers and intermediaries need to evolve, invest, and remain profitable. The concern we hear repeatedly is that buyers are not always sure whose interests are driving certain decisions.
Some question whether commercial relationships influence what appears in front of their travelers. Others question loyalty plays that try to drive their corporate travelers direct. Many are frustrated by public disagreements between suppliers, intermediaries, and technology providers, particularly when those disputes create confusion for the people responsible for running travel programs.
That is why trust cannot be viewed as a challenge for one part of the industry. It applies to suppliers, TMCs, technology providers, GDSs, consultants and every other organization involved in supporting managed travel. Every company has commercial objectives. Every company has shareholders, investors, growth targets, and competitive pressures. There is nothing unusual about that. But difficulties emerge when self-interest becomes difficult to distinguish from customer interest.
The pandemic’s lasting effect on trust
The legacy of the pandemic also plays a part in why trust has become such a prominent topic. Few industries experienced the same level of disruption. Companies reduced costs to survive, operating models had to be rebuilt, and many experienced professionals left the sector. When travel returned, businesses found themselves rebuilding teams, service models, and customer relationships at the same time.
Significant progress has been made during the past four years. Demand recovered, investment returned, and many travel businesses adapted successfully to a very different environment. Meanwhile, organizations have been asked to grow revenue, control costs, modernize technology, and defend market share. Those pressures exist across the ecosystem, and they influence the decisions being made by buyers, suppliers, TMCs, consultants, and technology providers alike.
Recently, Mike and I spoke at an industry event where trust became a major topic of discussion. The audience included buyers, suppliers, consultants, and TMCs. What stood out was how many people shared similar concerns. The discussion was not dominated by one group or one perspective. People spoke openly about confusion, frustration, and the challenge of knowing which information to believe when different parts of the industry are often telling different stories.
A real test of trust
One example from my own experience helps explain why trust matters so much. Following the pandemic, many travel companies struggled with after-hours servicing and emergency support. Demand for experienced travel counselors returned quickly, particularly during evenings and overnight periods, and many people who had previously worked those shifts chose not to return. Companies across the industry competed aggressively for talent, and labor costs increased significantly. Long wait times followed, and customers became understandably frustrated.
The conversations we had with clients during that period were direct and honest. We explained what was happening in the labor market, acknowledged the service challenges, and outlined what would be required to improve the situation. We needed more people, higher salaries, and additional investment in support operations. Those changes carried a cost, and we were transparent about that reality.
Most clients responded positively because they understood the situation. They did not expect perfection. They expected honesty, accountability, and a commitment to improvement. Service levels improved over time, and relationships strengthened because we worked through the problem together rather than avoiding difficult conversations.
I believe that many parties across the travel ecosystem likely had these types of honest conversations with customers, from supplier to agencies, and many others, and that approach creates stronger partnerships. Without open communication, questions of trust can grow.
Trust is earned through behavior
That experience reinforced something I have believed throughout my career. Trust is earned through behavior. It grows when companies, and the leaders who work there, communicate openly, explain decisions clearly, and address problems directly. Customers understand that challenges arise from time to time. What they want from their partners is transparency, consistency, and a willingness to engage in difficult conversations when circumstances require it.
Managed travel will keep changing. New technology will emerge, commercial models will evolve, and industry debates will rumble on. Trust remains one of the few constants. It underpins every partnership, every commercial agreement and every major decision. The organizations that maintain that focus will be in a far stronger position to build lasting relationships with their customers, regardless of how the industry develops in the years ahead.
