The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) reports rising expectations of a return to business travel among its members with more than one in two suppliers reporting a rise in corporate bookings.
GBTA’s latest poll of members found three out of four buyer and procurement respondents (74%) felt employees would be ‘willing’ or ‘very willing’ to travel for business. Only 10% felt staff would not be willing and 6% ‘unsure’.
Three out of four (78%) thought digital health verification by governments would be ‘effective’ in restarting corporate travel, with respondents from the UK (90%), Canada (89%) and Europe (86%) more likely than respondents from the US (73%) to favour certification.
Almost half (46%) expected their company to resume non-essential travel for all employees regardless of vaccination status. However, 38% were unsure of their company policy on vaccination and the resumption of business travel.
One in six (16%) said their company would allow only fully vaccinated employees to resume non-essential trips.
Asked about company plans to resume international travel, 13% had plans to do so in the next one to three months, 57% were considering a resumption but had no definite plans, 22% had no plans and 8% were unsure.
More than half (55%) said government restrictions remain the greatest barrier to travel, followed by company policies restricting travel (23%) and cost savings (11%). Only 7% cited employees’ unwillingness to travel.
Respondents in the UK (80%), Canada (77%) and Europe (70%) were more likely to cite government policies as a barrier those those in the US (44%).
More than half (54%) of suppliers reported an increase in corporate bookings in the past week, up from 40% in the April poll, and 36% reported an increase on the previous week.
Just over half (52%) of supplier and travel management company (TMC) respondents felt more optimistic about a recovery than a month ago, with two in five (41%) feeling the same.
And exactly half the suppliers and TMC respondents (50%) were optimistic about the industry’s financial prospects, with one in four (26%) pessimistic.
GBTA chief executive Suzanne Neufang said: “It’s reassuring to see so much momentum for a return to business travel, with more optimism, willingness to travel and an increase in bookings. Government policies remain the greatest obstacle.”
Three out of four suppliers and travel management respondents (77%) reported staff numbers were lower than before the pandemic, with 15% the same.
Almost two-thirds (62%) expected staffing levels to increase in the next six months, but almost half (48%) thought it would be difficult to recruit qualified staff because so many had left the industry.
Gbta polled 529 of its members around the world on May 10-15.