Changes in Travel Policies Recommended

An advisory board recently completed a review of the way the federal government determines per diem and lodging rates for federal travelers, recommending use of industry data sources to establish lodging rates, better definitions of per diem areas, outsourcing the government hotel contracting program and providing better tools for federal travelers to raise issues with per diem rates. If the panel’s recommendations are adopted, certain travel destinations could have up to four rates varying by season, in contrast to the maximum two today, and lodging rates could be adjusted as often as quarterly, if there is more than a 10 percent change in costs. It also suggested combining the several government lodging programs into one, and increasing the “incidental expenses” allowance from $2 to $3 and better communicating to travelers its purpose. The General Services Administration, which administers federal travel programs, will now start an internal review process to determine the feasibility and potential timeline for carrying out the recommendations.