Powering Hydro Tasmania’s travel with top-tier service

Hydro Tasmania turned travel chaos into clarity with Corporate Traveller - gaining the tools, structure and support for smoother trips, easier budgets and smarter savings.

The customer

Hydro Tasmania is Australia's leading clean energy business and largest generator of renewable energy. With the help of over 30,000 people over 100 years, it has built, maintained and refurbished hydropower infrastructure across Tasmania.

Industry: Renewable energy

Active Travellers: 400

Headquarters: Hobart, Tasmania

Challenge

Hydro Tasmania operates more than 30 power stations across Tasmania and provides consulting services internationally, including to remote destinations such as the Federated States of Micronesia. This particular route is long and complex, with multiple stopovers and unreliable connections, making it one of the most challenging journeys for staff. The company’s geographically diverse workforce often requires urgent or last-minute bookings, which their previous TMC struggled to manage.

Adding to the stress, Hydro Tasmania faced issues with billing errors, service quality concerns and long delays in receiving booking confirmations. Travellers reported frustration over waiting times for tickets to be issued, which often drove up overall costs. Having multiple points of contact at their former TMC only compounded the confusion, leaving the business unclear about who was responsible for handling each traveller’s requirements.

Everyone I've dealt with at Corporate Traveller treats us like part of their organisation ... They're invested in what we're doing as much as we are. I feel listened to and understood, and I really appreciate having an expert in every area that I need.
Ingrid Ralph
Travel Lead, Hydro Tasmania

The Corporate Traveller solution

Seamless onboarding

Hydro Tasmania moved to Corporate Traveller in May 2024, with smooth transition. “I was quite worried and stressed about how that would go, but it was really simple,” shared Ingrid. The onboarding process quickly set the tone for a partnership that prioritised clear communication, efficient service, and a genuine understanding of Hydro Tasmania’s needs.

Reporting and visibility

With reporting and visibility front of mind, Corporate Traveller helped implement a formal travel policy that gave Hydro Tasmania’s leaders the ability to forecast budgets with confidence. The switch also gave access to robust travel data and quarterly reporting, outlining the sweet spot for bookings. This has helped the team set advance purchase periods, book ahead, and accomplish savings across the board. By consolidating their travel program, Hydro Tasmania has been able to reduce costs, identify efficiencies, and avoid price hikes caused by delays in booking.

Seamless and scalable technology

Our online booking tool makes it easy to self-manage trips online, “Their online booking tool is great. We manage as much as we can ourselves online and anything we can’t is where we lean on Sophie, our travel manager,” explained Ingrid. This flexibility allows staff to handle simple bookings themselves, while knowing expert support is always available for more complex needs.

Dedicated expertise

A critical part of the partnership is Hydro Tasmania’s dedicated travel manager, Sophie, supported by customer success manager, Lucienne. Having a single, consistent point of contact has eliminated the confusion of the past. “She already knows who I am, where I’m from and what I need - sometimes before I do,” Ingrid noted. The team values Sophie’s attention to detail, such as remembering specific seating needs for executives, and the reassurance that if she is away, there are always one or two familiar backup contacts ready to step in.

Reliable support

Corporate Traveller’s after-hours emergency service, based in Australia, provides peace of mind for Hydro Tasmania’s travellers. In cases of flight delays or cancellations overseas, employees know they can call upon support immediately, no matter the time zone. This level of care has been described as “an arm of our business rather than a client relationship,” reflecting the depth of trust that has developed in the partnership.

Why Hydro Tasmania chose Corporate Traveller

Watch Ingrid from Hydro Tasmania explain the challenges they faced, and how our team delivered the solutions that made business travel easy as.

Winning outcomes

In less than a year, Corporate Traveller has helped Hydro Tasmania create a travel program that is efficient, reliable, and cost-effective. The dedicated hotel program analysis alone has unlocked $35,000 in potential savings, while quarterly reporting and advanced booking strategies continue to deliver ongoing cost reductions. More importantly, Hydro Tasmania now has the reassurance of fast service levels, clear points of contact, and a travel partner who truly understands their unique challenges.

Ready to put every dollar to good use?

Whether you already have a travel partner in place - or are not sure if your business needs one - our expert advice will help you decide. Our blended approach to business travel management makes us truly unique, chat with one of our dedicated travel experts today!