How is The Business Travel in 2021
Prior to the pandemic, business travel accounted for most airline profits since firms are more inclined to book last-minute and are willing to pay more for convenient periods. While many people have taken at least one leisure vacation since the pandemic, corporate travel has been slower to rebound.
“According to Southwest Airlines’ CEO, it could take ten years for business travel to rebound.”
According to a new report from Deloitte, the resumption of corporate travel from its Covid-19-induced standstill will pick up momentum throughout the rest of 2021. Still it will likely remain much below pre-pandemic levels for at least another year, and some forms of travel may never fully recover.
“According to a Bloomberg survey of 45 large corporations in the United States, Europe, and Asia, 84 percent intend to cut back on travel expenses after the pandemic.”
Leisure travel is anticipated to return to pre-pandemic levels as early as in 2022, but business travel will take some more years to rebound. Business travel bookings have dropped by 86 percent since 2019 and are also lower than 2020.
“We don’t think business travel will ever return to 2019 levels,” said Will Hawkley, the global head of travel and leisure at KPMG LLP.
Unfortunately, the Delta variation emerged in late summer, and carriers and travelers alike are already rescheduling their trip plans. The United States Travel Association hasn’t provided forecasts for the year 2021 yet, but business volume isn’t expected to return to normal until 2024 or later.
“Airlines projected that fall business travel would be 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels prior to the Delta version.”
Why is there a Major Cutback
A greater emphasis by many firms on environmental sustainability and limiting their carbon footprint is generating a probable long-term reduction in travel. Nearly 80 percent of the organizations surveyed by Deloitte had made a commitment to reduce carbon emissions or were working on one, and 48 percent projected to implement sustainability-related changes to their corporate travel policies in the coming year.
“The majority of respondents who are decreasing travel costs expect cutbacks of 20 percent to 40 percent, with around two-thirds slashing both internal and external in-person meetings.” The critical reasons for the cutbacks were the convenience and efficiency of virtual software, cost savings, and decreased carbon emissions.
Investors and authorities throughout the world are pressuring businesses to reduce CO2 emissions. The aviation sector is the target, and this is due to the sector’s rapid growth prior to the pandemic. So, airlines are offering businesses with carbon offsets and newer, more efficient planes to help mitigate the impact of CO2 emissions.
“According to the Global Business Travel Association, corporate travel spending might drop to as low as $1.24 trillion by 2024, down from a pre-pandemic peak of $1.43 trillion in 2019.”
What are The Challenges Faced in Business Travel
While travel businesses were optimistic about a business travel rebound in early 2021 after leisure travel rebounded swiftly, the Delta variant, travel restrictions, and other risks are causing the recovery to be prolonged.
Below listed are some of the travel challenges that business travel providers face.
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More Variants
Many organizations that had their employees return to the workplace earlier in 2021 have decided to continue working from home indefinitely due to the Delta variant. Other variants of COVID-19 viruses are also delaying the resumption of business trips. Because of the increased number of variants, airlines are delaying the return of some airplanes.
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Travel Restrictions
Travel restrictions imposed by countries and states hinder business and leisure travel. While business travel may be significant, there are still procedures like permit processes and potential quarantines. Regulations might change swiftly, forcing businesses to postpone in-person meetings and favor virtual conferences.
In a Bloomberg Radio interview in July, Greg Hayes, CEO of jet-engine maker Raytheon Technologies Corp., said that business travel has “forever changed.” According to him, about 30 percent of average commercial aviation traffic is business-related, but almost half of that is likely mandatory. While the market may eventually recover, sophisticated communication technologies have “really changed our thinking in terms of productivity,” Hayes said.
While countries and prominent business travel locations want business travel to rebound and generate revenues, the recovering process takes longer than anticipated.
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Vaccination Certificates
Companies may demand their personnel to be completely vaccinated for business purposes, and participants at events are increasingly being expected to be fully vaccinated. Vaccination rates are rising globally and in the United States, but not every worker will opt to be vaccinated.
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Budgets for Business Travel are Being Restricted
Businesses of all sizes are cutting their business travel expenses after recognizing that digital technologies can effectively assist in their business interactions. Thanks to today’s videoconferencing technology, reducing travel expenses is a simple task. A rise in business confidence could contribute to a resurgence in business travel.
Wrapping Up
Business travel will take a few more years to return to pre-pandemic levels. Changes adopted and insights gained during the COVID-19 pandemic will have an impact on business travel. Many firms still rely on travel to thrive, and travel companies must adjust to the new reality of fewer overall trips. Domestic business travel for critical in-person meetings would likely be the first to recover, followed by trade shows. On the other hand, international business travel may be the slowest to rebound due to travel limitations and price hikes.
