What Does the Future of Global Business Travel Look Like?

4 Treasury and Trade Solutions been endorsed by all major US hotel brands and associations in all 50 states and Canada). 3 Furthermore, in the post-COVID environment, corporates may look to their Travel Management Company (TMC) to help them implement more rigorous duty of care programs, ideally through innovative solutions which limit the impact to the overall traveler experience. In addition, flexibility is likely to be a more important element of planning in the future as travel schedules will need to be more fluid given potential virus flareups and quarantine requirements that could be put in place or lifted at short notice, according to a report by Business Travel News based on statements by airline executives in recent earnings calls. Conclusion Business travel is down – but it is not out. It fulfills a valuable function for corporates and while parts of that role can be replaced by virtual interaction, either using tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams or conference calls, much of it cannot. A number of countries, most notably some of those that first encountered COVID-19, have shown that a return to some semblance of normality is possible. Other parts of the world will surely follow. Companies are taking a conservative approach to business travel given their concerns about protecting the health of travelers and minimizing risk. This stance also reflects practical considerations: large numbers of people could continue working from home for many months to come. However, over time, different types of corporate travel will return and once again become normal – although at the margins, some travel activity may be lost forever. As the business community embarks on this long recovery, two things are certain. Business travel is unlikely to be taken for granted ever again; and everyone will be packing their bags differently – hand sanitizer and a mask are now the essential travel requirements. Are you planning to limit the number of people from your company that can travel together to specific meetings? 34% No 66% Yes When is your company planning to resume attendance at large events and conferences? 68% Not sure 13% Q1 2021 4% Q2 2021 5% Q3 2020 11% Q4 2020 3 https://www.ahla.com/safestay