Due to the ongoing pandemic, many corporations have postponed their travel ideas instead of working from home. For scheduling the meeting, they make use of the video conferencing apps and other platforms for discussions. Amidst the pandemic, hotel staff and the corporate travel industry are looking to attract more travelers to stay at their hotels by advertising how strictly they adhere to the covid-19 safety precautions.
International corporate travel services came to a complete standstill the previous year but are now picking up the pace and encouraging more business people to travel. Before the pandemic, one of the main reasons the travel industry was at the peak was international corporate travel services and other corporate travel arrangements. This article will detail various trends that helped shape the corporate travel industry and the emerging trends.
1. Domestic Travel Was Planned
Due to the pandemic, there have been travel restrictions in almost all travel types, be it a cruise, air, roads, or railways. The number of passengers, the stay duration, the coronavirus test, and the quarantine procedure were revised. Due to these factors, it became difficult for corporate travelers to travel to international locations and conduct their meetings. They were either forced to postpone their travel plans or conduct meetings virtually.
This prompted the corporate travelers to look for more business opportunities within their country and have safe travels. Also, domestic travels were resumed earlier than international travel, and there were fewer restrictions while traveling domestically. Domestic travel such as planning a road trip and visiting the countryside instead of being stuck in traffic are all better travel options.
2. Business Travels Also Became Family Trips
There were times when the businessmen did not want to spend more time allocated for the business meetings. Later on, they also started taking their family and friends for business trips and enjoyed the local cuisine and culture. This also helped the businessmen explore the area more and also have plenty of new experiences.
Companies also offered their employees time to conduct business deals while also allowing them to stay for a couple of days with their families. This helped the employees recharge and enjoy a nice vacation from which they came back energized. Some companies also reported that after a vacation the productivity also increased. The employees were also satisfied with the company and also helped them reduce the stress.
3. Looking For Ways to Reduce the Money Spent
Companies are always planning and looking for ways that can help them save a few bucks. When important, the companies try to send their employees on a tight budget, but that doesn’t mean that travel is compromised or canceled. Companies have found new ways to cut corners and reduce the cost of traveling by using advanced technologies.
They started providing economy class tickets rather than business class. The airlines chosen were also not very posh and instead booked their tickets in budget airlines. The hotel accommodation was also provided in the budget and lower star hotel compared to costly and high star hotels. Online tools were used to book tickets, helping them book faster and book tickets without the agents’ help. Once the agents were removed, the companies saved a lot of money and sometimes helped them stay at much more sophisticated hotels.
4. Opting For Cheaper Services
Earlier, using the conventional methods, the employees’ cost reaching the hotels and the stay totalled for a significant amount. Services such as Uber and Airbnb helped the companies plan the employees to stay in much cheaper, efficient, and more family-friendly places. This led many companies to break their partnerships with hotels and cab services and start partnerships with new companies.
Insurance and more research were needed before they made travel arrangements with these new services and businesses. Those companies who shifted to new companies saved lots by buying services from new brands that helped the economy. Companies that did not try new methods paid more for the same services. Since the new services are trying to start afresh, they tend to give out more services at a lower rate, thereby helping the companies get a lot of services cheaply.
5. Products Offered During the Travel
When corporates send their employees for travel meetings, they tend to buy entire packages for their employees. These packages included pickup and dropped service from the airport to the hotel, the cabs used during the stay, and the hotel’s stay. Airline companies and hotels worldwide are allowing customers to cancel their tickets and stay at the last minute. Due to this, the customers and the corporations get refunds, and their money is not entirely spent on a trip that was completely paid for, but they didn’t get to enjoy it because they were not present.
To Conclude
After the pandemic, the travel industry was affected the most but is also now slowly picking up the pace due to frequent travels for meetings and leisure.
Punit