Think about it: you can call, email and even watch your counterparty on FaceTime, Skype or GoToMeeting. So, why do companies fork out more than $1.2 trillion a year—a full 1.5% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP)—for international business travel? The expense is not only huge; it is also growing—at 6.5% per year, almost ...

James Bond might be the world’s best-known spy, but nowadays even an obscure international business traveler could face similar surveillance threats from a hostile foreign intelligence service or even a business competitor. For example, though most American business travelers aren’t aware of the threats of espionage, the dangers are greater and more prevalent than ever before. ...

More than half of travel managers recently surveyed said they report to finance or procurement. Corporations have long struggled with the ideal reporting structure for the travel management function. Over the past decade, increasing numbers of travel managers saw their titles change to “buyers” as they reported to procurement, or increasingly, finance. In the latest ...