The evolution of business travel in 2022

Hard hit in recent months by the pandemic, business travel is starting to get back up to cruising speed. But not without changes, as shown by recent studies presented by BCD Travel and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). Here is a breakdown of business travel trends for the months ahead.

BUSINESS TRAVEL IS NO LONGER AUTOMATIC

For a very long time, it was common to travel to attend a meeting on the other side of France or in a neighbouring country. But lockdowns and the introduction of remote work forced companies to go digital and hold their meetings via technologies such as Zoom or Google Meet (to name just two).

While some business trips help forge valuable ties between companies or colleagues, they are not always essential. Forecasts show that companies want to think more carefully about how useful a business trip really is for their employees. Companies therefore prefer to strike a balance between virtual meetings and in-person meetings.

HOTELIERS OFFERING ATTRACTIVE NEW DEALS FOR NOMADIC WORKERS

While hoteliers were hit hard by the health crisis, it also allowed them to review their offers and propose new packages adapted to travellers’ needs.

In business travel, more and more people want to take advantage of their trip to stay for the weekend and discover the destination. Hoteliers are increasingly offering so-called “bleisure” deals. The word is a blend of “business” (work) and “leisure”.

Bleisure offers allow hoteliers to propose attractive packages to business travellers during school holidays or weekends, to reconcile family life and work. It is a way to offer attractive services, such as spa discounts or gym access at the end of the day, for example. For more information, click here.

Hotels can also turn into offices. “By creating these workspaces in the hotel, they can target tourists, digital nomads and even local entrepreneurs who may hesitate to invest in renting an office,” says Ilia Kostov, EVP and CCO NORAM, Hospitality, at Amadeus. Some properties do not hesitate to convert part of their free space or rooms into offices, generating a new source of revenue that is no longer entirely dependent on tourism.

TOWARDS HIGHER ROOM AND TRANSPORT PRICES

Another factor for companies to take into account when organizing business trips in the coming months: inflation. The current economic crisis and the pandemic have hurt certain sectors, notably the hotel industry. Many properties suffered from the drastic drop in business travel, as their clientele consisted mainly of people travelling for work.

According to the GBTA forecast, business travel will have to adapt to the economic situation of each country. Rising inflation will inevitably have an impact on hotel room prices and on the price of oil.

If your company plans to organize several business trips in 2022, forecasts warn of rising room prices. These forecasts mainly concern midscale, upscale and luxury rooms, often favoured by business travellers. The expected increase is 13% in 2022 and 10% in 2023.

As for transport, and air travel in particular, fares are expected to rise by around 3% compared with 2021.

Julie
Communication Manager
In partnership with Amélie Manceau