Cost Savings
Canadian construction company Graham builds a better way for employees to travel on budget
Goals
Faced with high costs while traveling for work to places like Vancouver, employees at Canadian construction giant Graham needed a way to keep expenditures within a daily travel allowance provided to them. Long trips of up to 15 days or more made hotel stays difficult, so they also needed places to stay that offered the comfort and conveniences of home, including kitchens and spacious living areas.
Solution
Aware that employees were struggling to stay within their “living allowances,” travel managers at Graham found Airbnb for Work to be an ideal solution. Having learned about it at an industry conference, they started promoting Airbnb for Work to employees, who not only liked saving on travel expenses, but also the home-like amenities found in places booked on Airbnb. And they enjoyed staying in fun neighborhoods and experiencing local culture while away. When groups of employees traveled together, they had the option of booking a big house or a condo, leading to even more savings.
We have a number of employees that receive a fixed daily sum to cover their accommodations and meals. Airbnb has made it possible for these workers to budget accordingly without having to dip into their own pockets. They also appreciate having a home away from home, since they are on the road a lot.
— Karena Graca, travel manager at Graham
Results
Now, everyone is happy, from travelers and their supervisors to the travel managers tasked with providing the best options. Graham employees are able to stay on budget and when they stay in a home or apartment, they’re more productive and engaged in their jobs, says Graca.
With Airbnb for Work, Graham is:
- Reducing business travel expenses to help employees stay within their daily travel budgets
- Increasing productivity by offering comfortable stays in fun locations on long business trips
- Making employee relocations much better with temporary stays in homes rather than hotels
