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6 minutes readBusiness trips will be increasingly combined with leisure
According to a GBTA survey, 37% of corporate travellers extended their business trips last year by adding vacation days to them. Experts expect ‘bleisure’ (business plus leisure) travel to continue to grow at an accelerated pace in the new year.
This trend is driven by a significant demographic shift in corporate travel — the average age of the working population continues to fall. Millennials (the generation born between 1981 and 1996) make up the largest segment of the workforce, while Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012), by contrast, is small, but is nevertheless the future of work. This age group has other ideals compared to business travellers of the past. They tend to value a more flexible work schedule, favour a work-life balance, and try to combine business with pleasure when travelling for business.
Over 50% of corporate travellers throughout the world are expected to extend their business trips by adding a number of vacation days in order to explore new surroundings and recover a little.
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37% of corporate travellers extended their business trips last year by adding vacation days to them. Photo: Armando Oliveira / Shutterstock.com
Atypical accommodation options are gaining popularity
Business travellers in 2023 will not only choose the usual chain hotels. An increasing number of business travellers prefer to stay in flats, guesthouses or smaller boutique hotels with a more homely atmosphere. Such accommodation options offer a quick way to unwind, switch to a relaxing mode and recharge your batteries after a hard day’s work.
Furthermore, an increasingly large number of travellers prefer to choose accommodation options in close proximity to the venue of their business events. Distance from the city centre doesn’t matter anymore — comfort, speed of travel and saving time are in priority.
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More and more business travellers are booking their own trips
According to research, 69% of business travellers plan future trips by themselves, using third-party platforms.
This trend is also due to a decrease in the average age of the workforce. As we explained earlier, the new generation prioritises their own needs and is very concerned about comfort, including when travelling on business. It is for this reason that they prefer to organise business trips themselves.
With this trend in mind, the company’s challenge is to develop clear and flexible travel policy provisions that allow business travellers to consider their own preferences without going over the budget.
Travel policy in 2023
A well-organised travel policy provides strong support for your business. In this article we discuss what features to look out for if you are planning to review your travel policy in 2023, or build it from scratch.
69% of business travellers plan future trips by themselves, using third-party platforms. Photo: kitzcorner / Shutterstock.com
Companies’ travel policies will become more flexible
A side effect of the previous trend will be a global change in companies’ travel policies.
With a new generation of corporate travellers consciously taking business travel arrangements into their own hands, the risk of going over the budget and making mistakes in business travel arrangements is increasing significantly.
In particular, according to Global Traveler USA, bookings that do not comply with company travel policies continue to increase. Business travellers, when selecting flights and hotels for their trips, make bookings outside of the rules.
To reduce the number of violations, companies will review travel policies and make them more flexible. This trend will not only provide staff with more comfortable conditions for business trips, but will favourably affect corporate culture and staff loyalty.
To reduce the number of violations, companies will review travel policies and make them more flexible. Photo: Jirapong Manustrong / Shutterstock.com
Organising business trips will become more expensive
The full opening of most of the world’s countries has caused an increase in demand for business travel and autonomous events. This has been a factor in rising prices in the corporate travel segment.
According to GBTA, airfares will increase by 8.4% in 2023, hotel prices will increase by 8.2% and car rental prices by 6.3%. The main reasons for the rise in prices, apart from a recovery in travel demand, are higher fuel prices, inflation and workforce shortages.
Companies’ stance on sustainability will be key
The International Energy Agency predicts that greenhouse gas emissions will reach record levels in 2023. If this trend is not reversed in the next few years, it could have catastrophic consequences. And business travel plays a key role here — it is one of the biggest causes of corporate carbon dioxide emissions.
More and more people are becoming aware of the importance of environmental awareness. As a result, an increasing number of employees want to work for companies that embrace sustainability policies. What’s more, in 2023, hiring opportunities for top talent will be closely linked to companies’ attitudes towards environmental issues.
Hiring opportunities in 2023 for top talent will be closely linked to companies’ attitudes towards environmental issues. Photo: Black Salmon / Shutterstock.com
Staff safety will remain the main priority
According to Amadeus data, 84% of staff prefer to be informed about safety procedures for an upcoming journey. During a business trip, employees can face any number of unforeseen circumstances, from adverse weather conditions to local strikes and other force majeure events. The company’s objective when organising a business trip is to ensure that the employee has all the necessary conditions for physical and psychological safety.
Particular attention should be paid to measures such as staff insurance, the provision of safe and hygienic accommodation and safe transport. Companies would benefit from developing a corporate business travel safety policy setting out rules to be followed by staff and travel managers to ensure wellbeing.
An account manager rushes to help
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2023 looks quite promising for the business travel industry — as the market recovers, business travel could reach pre-pandemic levels, but industry players will need to be more flexible and adapt to new trends in the industry to do so.
