Here is a summary of very effective methods for saving costs during business trips that you may want to consider for yourself.

• Book a standard hotel room instead of staying on the executive floor. By booking a standard room, you can save a substantial amount of money and still get a good night’s sleep.
• Negotiate room rates. Hotels are currently experiencing much lower occupancy rates and a better rate is worth negotiating, especially if you plan to become one of their long-term customers.
• Fly economy class. If you book an economy class flight with one of the airlines famous for their good onboard service, you’ll also end up with a decent meal, better-than-average legroom, reasonably comfortable seats, and you can still save a lot of money.
• Use the public transportation. Cities like Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai have an excellent public transport system that offers you a much cheaper and mostly faster alternative to taxis. Many hotels and fair operators offer free shuttle buses to exhibitions that you can use. You can save a lot of money by staying further away from the exhibition centers in a comfortable hotel at a much lower room price.
• Online registration. Use the online registration services of the fair operators and receive your entrance card free of charge in advance and avoid queuing at the entrance.
• Save on your meals. Why not try the much cheaper local food and cut down on your food costs? A local noodle soup costs only a few dollars and tastes delicious. Instead of having breakfast at your hotel, you can visit one of the many coffee shops around your hotel area and even get a free coffee or tea.
• Shorten your trip or reduce the number of trips per year. If visiting trade shows in China is a must for you, perhaps you should consider concentrating on the most important ones. In many cases there is a spring and fall version of the same fair and you may want to skip the spring version because it may not be as important as the fall version.
• Don’t miss out on hiring a local Consultant. The American president is a very busy man and he does not have time to read all the newspapers by himself. There are experts who do the cutting of vital items and allow you to receive the necessary information. The same goes for importers. You cannot cover everything during your trip and you cannot visit all the factories as it should be the case. In these difficult times, you need the help of experts who are already in place. They can take over part of your duties even if you have decided not to travel to China. His decades of experience with Chinese factories will help you maintain your import activities while reducing your import costs substantially.