The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) has released the findings from its 20th poll assessing how GBTA members are managing the return to business travel, post-pandemic.
The first poll of this summer revealed a continuation of the positive momentum reported last month, as companies implement or finalize plans to resume domestic business travel. Two-fifths (40 percent) of respondents say their company’s plan to resume non-essential domestic business travel has “already happened” in the country where they are based—compared with last month’s 34 percent allowing “some” domestic travel. An additional one-third (33 percent) say their company has finalized a date (8 percent) or is working to finalize a date (25 percent) to resume domestic business travel. Only one-quarter are “waiting to see what happens” (18 percent) or are “not sure” (6 percent).
While domestic business travel nears a return, the outlook for international business travel remains murky. More than three in five respondents (62 percent) say their company is waiting to see what happens or is not sure about resuming non-essential international business travel from the country where they are based. And in Canada, both domestic and international business travel plans have taken restart delays.
GBTA CEO Suzanne Neufang said in a press statement, “Optimism has given way to action, and the gradual support of corporate policies to resume business travel has actually begun. While this is an important breakthrough, our research says it will take some time for companies to allow as many trips—or even the same kind of travel—as they did before the pandemic.”
Companies Plan to Resume Business Travel
GBTA also found that employee willingness to travel continues to grow. Three in four (77 percent) GBTA buyer and procurement members feel their employees are "somewhat willing" or "very willing" to travel for business in the current environment. This is 12 percentage points higher than in the last poll (May 2021).
Most travel buyers have also reported an increase in business travel spend. When asked how their company travel spend changed in May compared to the prior month, six in 10 (60 percent) report their company’s spending increased "somewhat" to "a lot," whereas one in four report spending remained "the same." Only 15 percent reported travel spend decreased (13 percent) or are unsure (2 percent). Respondents based in the United States (68 percent) are more likely than those based in Europe (54 percent) to say their company’s travel spend has increased from the previous month.
Despite the positivity towards domestic travel, many companies are taking a wait-and-see approach with international business travel. To note, only one in 10 respondents (12 percent) say their company’s plan to resume international business travel has “already happened.” One-in-four say their company has decided on or announced a date to resume international travel (5 percent) or is working to finalize a date (21 percent). Most say their company is “waiting to see what happens” (39 percent) or are not sure (23 percent).
The survey found that business travel professionals expect sales/account management trips and "blue-collar service trips" to lead the recovery. More than half expect the number of these trips will return to the pre-pandemic level within a year; however, expectations regarding other types of trips—such as internal collaboration and education/professional development trips—will take longer to recover. One-fifth (19 percent) expect the number of internal collaboration trips will never recover to the pre-pandemic level.
Lastly, supplier optimism continues to grow. Over half of travel suppliers and travel management company personnel reported they are "very optimistic" (13 percent) or "optimistic" (41 percent) about the financial prospects of companies in the business travel sector. This is up seven percentage points from last month’s poll.
Momentum Grows for a Return to Office
Beyond travel, GBTA found that companies are finalizing office reopening plans. Two in five GBTA members and contacts (43 percent) say their company’s office reopening plan has already happened in the country where they are based. Almost half say their company has decided on or announced a date (24 percent) to reopen the office or are working to finalize a date (21 percent). Less than one in 10 say their company is waiting to see what happens (8 percent) or are not sure (4 percent).
With that said, even as offices reopen, respondents expect flexible work policies to remain. Eight in 10 (79 percent) expect employees at their company will have more flexibility to work from home in the future than they had prior to the pandemic. One in five (17 percent) expect employees will have the same flexibility to work from home as they did before the pandemic. Only five percent expect employees will have less flexibility to work from home post pandemic.
Will new remote work policies impact business travel? Among respondents who expect their company will allow more flexibility to work from home, two-thirds (65 percent) expect the change will not affect business travel. One-third (30 percent) expect increased flexibility will lead to less business travel while five percent expect it will lead to more business travel.
Methodology: GBTA conducted a poll of its members across the globe from June 7-11, 2021. A total of 640 responses were received.
Source: GBTA
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