Book international business trips with DGI (formerly Diversity Travel)

Conference bookings

If you are going abroad for a conference, you book the flight tickets/flights with DGI. Other travel and accommodation components, such as train, hotel, conference registration, local transport, taxi, hire car or boat, may be booked directly by you and claimed in accordance with the applicable rules. If you do wish to use a travel agent or travel agency, you must use DGI; the use of any other travel agent or travel agency is not permitted. 

Please note: you are responsible for paying registration fees for conferences and can immediately claim reimbursement after payment through BASS (expense declaration).

Conference bookings with open registration

Booking conferences abroad with open registration is done through DGI (full service), provided that you can share the link with DGI. Booking through DGI is only mandatory for flights/airline tickets. You may book other elements directly, but not through another travel agency.

Conference booking with personal invitation

If you are invited to a conference with a personalised invitation in which the hotel, dinners and so on are provided by the conference organiser, you book and pay for it yourself.

1. Submit your travel request through BASS and receive an approved travel request (with all costs of the business trip) before booking.
2. Book the round trip to the congress abroad (train, flight, taxi) with DGI.
3. Book and pay for your stay via the personalised invitation you receive. You can declare the costs immediately after payment via BASS (expense claim). These costs include: congress costs, packages, congress hotel or the registration content.
4. Other accommodation costs such as meals can be claimed directly via BASS (expense claim).

Sustainable travel policy

An important measure from Radboud University's sustainability policy for foreign travel is the 7-hour travel rule from Nijmegen. This means: no more flying to cities that can be reached within seven hours with sustainable alternatives. Often, the train is a good alternative, with less waiting time than at the airport, and you can use the journey, for example, to work or sleep if you take the night train.

When adopting the business air travel policy in 2020, it was decided to centrally organise the booking of international business travel through a travel agent to achieve Radboud University's sustainability goals. With DGI, the CO2 emissions caused by air travel will be clarified and how this will be compensated. Additionally, administrative burdens for colleagues from various departments are reduced, and the duty of care is centrally organized.

Use business loyalty points   

When booking a business flight, points are automatically collected in a centralised savings programme of the airline concerned. By booking flight tickets through DGI, the business points are collected in a centralised account of Radboud University. This savings programme is called Bluebiz. These points are intended for Radboud University and are not the same as a private savings system. Besides Bluebiz, it is also possible to save privately with Flying Blue. You indicate this in your traveller profile in the booking system.

BlueBiz business savings points are used in a positive way to help regular international master students with limited financial resources in obtaining a one-way trip to begin their studies at Radboud University. The use of business loyalty points for these students is an initiative of Student Life and International Mobility (SLIM) and the Radboud Fund. Students who apply for the Radboud Encouragement Scholarship (RES) are eligible. The selection of these students is done through a lottery, conducted by SLIM of the Radboud Encouragement Scholarship (RES). These students have demonstrated insufficient financial means to study in the Netherlands.

Change in prepayment

Because travel, accommodation and any registration fees for conferences will now be invoiced directly to Radboud University, it is no longer possible/necessary to request an advance payment. Other costs during the trip that have not been booked with DGI can be claimed directly, or if you wish, after your return via BASS (expense claim with proof of payment). This could include other pre-paid registration fees and all costs incurred during your trip such as food, drinks and tourist tax. A travel application number for these costs is then no longer applicable.