Instagram Facebook Linkedin
Get Started

When You Return from a Business Trip: Everything You Need to Report

When You Return from a Business Trip_ Everything You Need to Report Featured

About Us

Inspired Travel Group is a full-service corporate travel agency servicing clients right the way across North America. Our people first approach to travel ensures only the highest levels of personalized, attentive service.

Interested?

Table of Contents

Returning from a business trip can feel like a mix of relief and stress. While you may have closed deals, attended important meetings and discovered new opportunities, there’s still one more critical task to tackle, reporting. A clear and organized business trip report helps justify your travel, track expenses and show the value of the trip to your company.

This guide will simplify the process with actionable tips, a report structure and tools to help you get it done quickly and effectively.

Why Reporting After a Business Trip Matters

When you’re back from a trip, reporting may feel like a low priority, but it plays a major role in business success. Here’s why it matters:

  1. Tracking Outcomes: A detailed report showcases what you achieved during the trip. Whether you attended a trade show, met potential clients or closed a deal, it’s important to highlight the value of the trip.
    Example: “Met with three key suppliers at the Toronto Manufacturing Expo. Secured quotes for equipment that could reduce operational costs by 10%.”
  2. Expense Management: Submitting an expense report ensures you’re reimbursed quickly and accurately while helping companies stay within budgets.
  3. Measuring ROI: For Canadian businesses, travel is often a significant investment, especially with fluctuating flight costs and cross-border trips. So, reports help justify that investment by linking travel to tangible outcomes.
  4. Compliance: For companies with travel policies, reports ensure you followed guidelines and submitted receipts for eligible expenses. In Canada, accurate reporting is also essential for tax compliance and audits.

What Should a Business Travel Report Include?

What Should a Business Travel Report Include

A strong business trip report is clear, concise and thorough. Here’s what to include and why it matters:

  • Trip Overview:
    • Start with the basics: trip dates, destination(s) and the purpose of travel.
    • For example: “Traveled from Vancouver to Montreal from Sept 12–14 to meet with clients and attend the Canadian HR Leadership Conference.”
 
  • Agenda and Activities:
    • Outline what you did during the trip: meetings, events and presentations. Include names of participants and outcomes.
    • For clarity, use a table:
 

Date

Activity

Participants

Outcome

Sept 12

Client Meeting with ABC Inc.

John Smith (ABC)

Discussed new partnership opportunities. Follow-up scheduled for Oct 1.

Sept 13

HR Conference Keynote

Industry Leaders

Gained insights on leadership trends impacting hiring.

  • Key Outcomes and Results:
    • This is where you connect your trip to business value. Be specific about achievements, insights or next steps.
    • Example: “Identified three potential vendors for our software upgrade during the meetings. Follow-up quotes will be presented to leadership on Oct 10.”
 
  • Challenges and Follow-Ups:
    • Mention any difficulties during the trip, like travel disruptions or last-minute changes and how you managed them.
    • List actionable steps: follow-up emails, calls or presentations needed after the trip.
 
  • Expense Summary:
    • Include a breakdown of costs: flights, hotels, meals, ground transportation and incidentals. Attach digital receipts and notes for clarification.
 

For Canadian travelers, this is particularly important when claiming GST/HST refunds or calculating taxable benefits related to travel.

Try Our Elite Travel Management Service Fee Free For 3 Months

Request Corporate Trial >>

How to Claim Travel Expenses with an Expense Report

An expense report ensures you’re reimbursed for eligible costs while providing transparency for the company. Here’s what a clear expense report should include:

  1. Expense Details:
    • Date of the expense
    • Description (e.g., “Dinner meeting with ABC Corp.”)
    • Category (flights, hotel, meals, transport)
    • Amount (include currency if international)
  2. Receipts:
    • Keep receipts for all expenses, especially for tax-deductible items like meals and mileage. Use apps to scan receipts and store them digitally.
  3. Mileage for Canadian Travelers:
    • If you drove your personal vehicle, calculate mileage using the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) rate, which updates annually. For 2024, the rate is 70 cents per kilometre for the first 5,000 km driven.

 

Tools to Simplify Expense Reporting:

  • Expensify: Automatically scans and categorizes receipts.
  • Zoho Expense: A great tool for tracking expenses and creating reports.
  • QuickBooks: Popular for Canadian businesses to track expenses and manage tax compliance.

 

Tip: Scan receipts as you go using apps like Expensify to avoid the post-trip scramble for paperwork.

When Does a Business Trip Require a Travel Report?

Not all trips require extensive reporting, but here’s when it’s typically needed:

  • Reimbursement: If you’re claiming costs for flights, hotels or meals, a formal report is essential.
  • High-Value Trips: Extended or international trips require a detailed justification for the company’s investment.
  • Performance Monitoring: Reports help companies track progress, like client meetings that lead to contracts or partnerships.

Tips for Writing a Clear and Effective Travel Report

  • Start Immediately: Draft your report on the return flight or as soon as you’re back so details are fresh in your mind.
  • Stay Focused: Highlight outcomes and next steps instead of getting lost in unnecessary details.
  • Use Visuals: Tables, charts or bullet points make your report easier to digest.
  • Be Transparent: Include receipts, note any challenges and outline costs clearly.
 

For example, instead of saying:
“The meeting went well,”


you could say:
“During our meeting with ABC Corp, we discussed a partnership proposal that could increase revenue by 15%. Next steps: finalize terms by Oct 15.”

Conclusion

Reporting after a business trip is a key step in ensuring your hard work on the road translates into measurable value. A well-prepared report highlights your achievements, tracks expenses and connects the trip to tangible business outcomes. By following the tips and structure outlined above, you’ll create a report that’s both clear and impactful.

If you’re looking for seamless business travel planning that keeps everything on track, Inspired Travel Group has you covered. We ensure your travel logistics are handled with care so you can focus on what matters most: achieving results. Contact us today and discover how we can transform your corporate travel experience.

Links to related Articles

Table of Contents

Corporate Travel Inquiry

1Your Information
2Business Information & Travel Expectations Heading
3Your Message To Inspired
Your Information

Request Corporate Trial

1Your Information
2Business Information & Travel Expectations Heading
3Your Message To Inspired
Your Information
x
Inspired Travel Group logo in white, aligned to the left

For those that require a higher level of service

Corporate Travel Inquiry

Your Information
Business Information & Travel Expectations
Your Message to Inspired