I took the first two modules of the CGTP certification, and it appears to be pretty complete. I did notice one flaw between the study material and the exam. The study material indicates that the GSA experimented with its first city-pair program in 1980 with 11 city-pair contract air fares. The exam asks how many airlines the GSA contracted with in 1980. It almost reads as a trick question to help define the differences between and city-pair and an airline. As we know, a city-pair is a pairing of cities. Either the reading material should indicate how many airlines, or the exam question should be written to say how many city-pairs were originally contracted.
The first two sections seem to be a 30,000 foot view and what the GSA and Federal Government have done. The history of what occurred in the past and the accomplishments made along the way were great. I hope the course will get a little deeper into how the GSA and Federal government accomplished this. Maybe get into what information should be asked for in Request for Proposals to travel vendors, and what to evaluate on.
As a travel manager for the State of Oregon, I truly understand the need for a managed travel program. It is very rewarding when you can demonstrate a yearly savings in millions of dollars by having all of the elements in place. The states who have managed travel programs have become more united in recent years to help each other out and also to educate those states who are trying to develop a managed travel program. It is hoped by the states that one day we can partner more with the federal government with some of their programs in order to develop a united front in the government travel market.
by Tim Hay