Key wins see FCM lead the way in university travel market

FCM is the trusted market leader in Australia and two recent wins in the academic industry has played a key role in the business being able to increase its market share from 41 per cent to 44 per cent in the university space, despite the challenges of the global pandemic.

The corporate business specialists have recently welcomed two academic institutions on board with Southern Cross University and Western Sydney University joining an impressive portfolio.

“We have an excellent relationship with universities right across Australia and it’s a delight to welcome both Southern Cross University and Western Sydney University to join our many other partners,” said FCM Director - Global Sales and Strategic University Partnerships Jamison Warren.

“We’ve been the trusted leader within the academic travel sector for nearly two decades now and our ability to deliver best-in-class services with a combination of human interaction and our technology play a big role in our dominant market share 19 years on from inception.

“We cater for universities that have a large and complex travel program with thousands of travellers, as well as schoolteachers coordinating an overseas group study trip.

“Our dedicated academic approach helps provide support for Fringe Benefit Tax regulations, travel policy, duty of care and reporting requirements.”

“It became evident to us that while our travel volumes were down, travel had become increasingly complex,” said Southern Cross University Manager, Travel Services, Michelle Windeyer.

“We needed a TMC that could quickly respond to these complexities and provide solutions to keep our travellers informed and safe.

“FCM has demonstrated a real commitment to supporting our return to travel and keeping up with the challenges of travelling during a pandemic. “We now feel confident we’ll be prepared for the ongoing challenges of domestic travel and well-supported for a return to international travel.”

Western Sydney University Senior Manager – Procurement and Corporate Services Sonya Cachia said the university had been partnered with FCM for a period of 15 months.

“Our seamless transition to FCM came at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic where we were experiencing large volumes of requests and concerns from students and staff in an ever-changing environment,” Ms Cachia said.

“The University continues to benefit enormously from the level of service, professionalism, dedication, and personal care provided by FCM.”

“We operate with a specific and dedicated focus on the academic sector that provides tailored travel management solutions to meet the needs of universities, research organisations and schools,” said FCM Travel General Manager Australia Melissa Elf.

“We really do offer industry-leading expertise and customer service across the board, and we take great confidence in knowing our market share in the university space reflects the outstanding work that our team puts in across the nation in delivering that.

“It’s a privilege to be partnered with these two universities and we’re thankful that they have put their trust in us to deliver their travel needs – we absolutely love working with the sector and it’s a source of pride for us that we have such great relationships in this field.”