Travel—for both business and leisure—worldwide has virtually
come to a standstill during the coronavirus pandemic. At this point, nobody knows
when it will come back. Whenever that time comes though, travel will certainly
be different than it was before. Airports, airlines, hotels and car rental
companies will likely be taking new precautions as companies start
greenlighting travel for business purposes.
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) estimates that
the coronavirus potentially costs the travel industry $46.6 billion each month
as people stay home. A GBTA survey found that employers canceled or suspended
nearly all previously booked or planned international business travel.
Ninety-two percent of respondents said all or most domestic business travel had
been canceled or suspended.
Will Travel Return?
The short answer is yes. After safer-at-home orders are
lifted and companies move into recovery mode, business travel is likely to
return—just as leisure travel will. In the corporate world, it may be tough to
establish a business relationship with someone you’ve never met in person.
Video conferencing has been helping fill that gap during lockdown, but it
doesn’t necessarily replicate face-to-face meetings.
Major events and tradeshows are continuing to be canceled or
postponed throughout the summer. Some organizations have even switched their
events to be in a virtual setting. As in-person events start getting put back
on the calendar, attendance and travel will pick up.
After months of no traveling or not being in the office,
there may be a pent-up desire to travel. Business travelers often are known to
grumble about frequent travel and living out of a suitcase, but after the
coronavirus pandemic, there’s a chance everyone is looking forward to the
opportunity to pack a carry-on bag or book a red-eye flight.
What Will Travel Be Like?
There’s no way to know exactly what business travel will look
like once the threat of COVID-19 subsides. But we can start thinking about the
ways that travel may be different:
·
Affordability—Not
all travel industry companies will make it through the global pandemic, and
revenue losses may impact companies for several years to come. Just as those
companies have been taking a financial hit, financial pains happen at a
personal level, too. Overall, it may be tough for companies and individuals to
afford to travel frequently again.
·
Transportation—Post-coronavirus,
leisure travelers may opt for automobile or train trips and stay closer to
home. However, business travelers will most likely not shift their behavior and
return to flying as their main mode of transportation.
·
Destination—Additionally,
there’s a prediction that business trips will be focused on shorter trips
within the same region. That means that Americans will focus on traveling
within America and limit going overseas.
·
Cleaning—Cleaning
and other health safety precautions will be critical for travelers to feel
comfortable in an aircraft, airport or hotels. Cleaning and sanitization
standards will improve overall. Safety is going to be critical to get travelers
back on the road or in the air.
·
Communication—As
travelers are getting used to frequent and transparent communications from
travel industry companies, there will be an expectation for that to continue as
people are more comfortable traveling again. Companies should provide the same
timely, factual and transparent communications to employees and be proactive
about revising travel policies.
Some business travel may disappear altogether due to company
failure. Additionally, businesspeople are learning during this period of severe
travel restrictions that some travel can actually be replaced by teleconferencing
technology. As people quickly adapted to working from home, teleconferencing
became a staple in today’s workplace, and—as we move into recovery mode—it may
be the new norm. Technology will likely evolve with more functionality and
higher quality as time goes on and demand stays high. Businesspeople are
learning that they can still get work done with teleconferencing, and at a much
lower cost.
What’s Next?
Right now, it’s a waiting game as states and employers move into
recovery mode from COVID-19. Safety is going to be the main priority for all
travelers. Therefore, decision-makers should lean on travel advisories from the
Centers for Disease and Prevention and the World Health Organization. Companies
will do well to err on the side of caution and keep in mind that it’s not just
the destination, but the trip itself where business travelers are at risk for
exposure.
Travel agencies can help when the time is right to travel again
by providing guidance on locations and logistics. To learn more about the
future of business travel, contact Better Business Planning, Inc. today.
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