A Return to Business Travel: Customer Survey Results

 

Corporate Travel Management (CTM) recently conducted a global customer survey to identify the key issues and concerns for businesses and their travelers as they prepare for a return to business travel post-COVID-19.

The survey findings reinforce the positive impact of corporate travel on business performance and highlight how the resumption of business travel will positively contribute to economic recovery.

Here, we share the key survey findings and how your businesses can best prepare for a return to travel.

Key findings

Business impacts

COVID-19 travel restrictions have had a significant impact on our customers’ businesses, most significantly impacting financial performance, business growth, and customer and employee engagement, demonstrating the positive impact that business travel has on business performance.

 

Globally, more than 78% of CTM customers surveyed said COVID-19 travel restrictions had negatively impacted business growth, 68% had experienced an impact on financial performance, and 65% cited a negative impact on customer and employee support and engagement.

The most recurring negative business impacts highlighted by our customers included:

• Projects delays / inability to reach project completion
• Inability to attract new business
• Impact on relationship building
• Inability to train new customers / employees
• Manufacturing sector: impact on product development and movement

Policy changes

Only 14% of survey respondents indicated that changes made to company travel policies in response to COVID-19 were expected to be permanent. Of those permanent policy changes, the key changes included:

• implementing additional approval measures
• incorporating specific policy measures for pandemics

Key travel concerns

Our customers indicated that their top concerns over returning to business travel were:

1. Safety and well-being of travelers
2. Quarantine measures
3. Cost and availability of travel services

Information is key

CTM customers said government travel advice about border controls, quarantine measures and destination health advice, as well as traveler tracking and emergency communication tools, would be key to enabling a safe and effective return to business travel.

With travel restrictions expected to ease over the coming months, CTM is integrating additional data into its proprietary online booking tool, Lightning, to empower travel arrangers and travelers to make better informed booking decisions.

Lightning will display features relating to:

• hygiene and cleanliness
• health screening
• passenger and crew well-being
• flexible conditions

This and additional health and wellness information will be displayed at the time of booking to ensure travelers feel confident in their travel choices.