As the world begins to tentatively reopen its borders after the pandemic, we’ve started to work with business travelers to help them navigate the new travel environment.
Aware there are many fears, challenges and unknowns, we’ve put together this guide to help you and your teams prepare to tackle the new terrain with confidence.
Partnering with our sister company, ICE24, through our joint travel programme, ICETRAVEL360, we have identified four key business-traveler profiles to better understand different travelers and their main concerns.
Each profile is defined and positioned on the travel resilience scale using three key indicators: business sector, travel purpose and whether the trip is domestic or international.
These corporate-travel archetypes vary from company to company, and it’s definitely possible for all four to coexist within the same organization. That said, some of these profiles may feature more prominently in some companies and less in others.
So which profile are you?
- The “never left” segment
This is the most resilient end of the scale where travel is deemed essential for conducting business. This profile resumed their trips as soon as lockdowns eased.
In 2019, the “never-left” segment accounted for nearly 15% of all corporate travel expenses. It includes managers in manufacturing companies with a wide distribution of factories and plants and field-operation workers. During the pandemic, even those who were reluctant to fly continued to travel, simply opting for rail and private cars instead.
- The “fear of missing out” (FOMO) segment
Accounting for 60% of business-travel expenditure in 2019, it’s this segment that is most likely to drive the rebound of corporate travel – fueled by a ‘fear of missing out’ from cultivating important client relationships. or losing opportunities to braver competitors.
More agile small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) will no doubt increase corporate travel at much faster rates, as they are less subject to the heightened approval processes that large enterprises have to follow. We predict that this will trigger a domino effect where one company’s resumption of business trips will catalyze its rivals’ return to work-related travel.
Faced with intense competition, different players in the company, including the leadership team, will coalesce to reinstate corporate travel at scale, in order to seize a first-mover advantage over competitors – not just for customers but for talent as well.
- The “wait and see” segment
Finally, this segment consists of workers in relatively non-competitive industries and roles. In 2019, they contributed 5% of total business-travel spending.
These corporate travelers tend to come from the public sector, professional associations and nonprofits. During the pandemic, many professional associations were able to hold virtual events to replace in-person conferences and are likely to be more cautious in their return to travel.
- The “never returning” segment
On the other end of the scale, these business travelers, who contributed to one-fifth of business travel spending in 2019, have now had their budgets slashed by their corporations. Or restrictions imposed in efforts to meet carbon neutrality targets.
However, many companies were forced to adopt digital practices while working remotely during the pandemic and whilst they were not necessarily able to maintain high levels of effectiveness, they are still unlikely to return to corporate travel any time soon.
Advances in online technologies have enhanced the oversight of outpost employees, but in doing so they’ve paved the way for corporate travel to decline even further. Lacking in human-centered, relationship-building, face-to-face interaction – this hands-off approach will come at a cost.
Regardless of which category you’re in, at Al Thuraya Consultancy™ we’re working with customers to create tailor-made solutions for the new era of business travel. Our goal is to help businesses seize opportunity by developing and planning key timelines for resuming travel, updating travel policies and inputting new safety resources. Beyond this, we provide very personalized services for individual customers and their employees wherever business takes them.
Approaching the future of corporate travel in 4 steps
To chart a safe and effective road map for future corporate travel, businesses will need to collaborate and seek the right partners to best facilitate their return.
Key players who are part of the ecosystem, including travel risk management companies and travelers themselves, have already started to leave out traditional intermediaries such as corporate-travel planners, online travel agencies (OTAs) and global-distribution-system (GDS) providers – as they lack the ability to master four critical skills to make business travel a success:
- Leveraging real-time data
- Planning with agility
- Aiming for personalized comfort and safety
- Communicating with clarity
Step 1: Leverage real-time data
Planning for the future can feel like flying through a fog of uncertainty, which makes it even more important for players to leverage real-time data to inform their decision making. Organizations need to invest in reliable data capabilities in order to identify and monitor the first signs of an acceleration in business travel.
This is where new and meaningful data is required: data which includes social risk; actual travel requirements in local and regional communities, and verifiable entry rules and cultural issues.
Typical travel intermediaries are able to provide aggregate data for each industry, but they fall short in providing real and up-to-date local and regional information. Or indeed, real-time data regarding the health and well-being of travelers.
As corporate travel returns, companies like Al Thuraya Consultancy™ have the right resources to provide real-time data to match ever-shifting demands. The in-depth data we provide includes information on air carriers and hotels and is more agile, meaningful, acute and timely; resulting in smoother, safer and swifter travel.
Step 2: Embed agility into planning
It pays to have a detailed plan and strategy in place for different recovery scenarios.
When demand picks up, many firms may find that they don’t have the time to pause and think through their strategies.
When it comes to organizing business trips for employees, corporate-travel planners will need to take four considerations into account:
- Firstly, what are the factors that determine whether corporate travel can take place? These could include local and regional infection levels, customer demand, risk and competitive actions.
- Secondly, what are the relevant data sources used to evaluate these factors? These could include public-health indicators, customer surveys, transportation and logistics providers to ensure smooth travel.
- Thirdly, what company policies are in place regarding business travel? What distance-based policies should staff adhere to? Should they use rental cars, rideshares, taxis, or flights? When should they wear masks or engage in group gatherings?
- Finally, what information is needed by travelers 24/7/365? And how can they access it? Is it provided by real people who can help in real-time on the phone?
Step 3: Personalize experiences based on safety and comfort
Safety and comfort are crucial elements in the travel experience, and they can sometimes pull in opposite directions.
More can be done to bridge this gap.
Both employers and companies like Al Thuraya Consultancy™ have found ways to give passengers peace of mind and improve comfort and convenience. The guiding principle here is to give the traveler greater control over decisions that affect their sense of comfort and security.
Step 4: Communicate with clarity
Even the most seasoned travelers have to accept that traveling has changed. Masks have become ubiquitous and border restrictions, boarding procedures, and hygiene requirements seem to be ever changing. It’s critical that organizations clearly communicate what their corporate travel policies are at any given moment in time – and for every stage of the journey – from pre- to post-trip.
It helps for organizations to be extra proactive in communicating any type of change, whether regarding company-wide strategic policies or more granular details, such as the company’s preferred rideshare or car-rental options.
When changes in operations are made, companies should take special care to ensure the availability of amenities. Leaders can play a prominent role in modeling how to travel in this new reality by clearly reiterating company policies. Travel help desks, and easily digestible infographics could all be used to help get the message across.
Keep channels of communication open and allow employees to give feedback and raise concerns as and when they arise. Travelers will also go through an adjustment period as they resume their business trips. Leaders should communicate that it’s okay for them to take it slowly.
In Summary
Some corporate travelers will find they have to adapt quickly to the many changes in business travel, while others will have the luxury of easing themselves in over a longer period.
Unpredictability will continue to be a fact of life. But, the resumption of corporate travel will not only be possible but enduring if everyone plays their part in solving problems for people and organizations globally. This means adopting a human-centered approach with local and regional capabilities to build enduring relationships that provide secure, stable, and long-term predictable outcomes for all.
Al Thuraya Consultancy™ provides customized travel plans, meaningful data and human-centered solutions to help you and your teams move around the world with confidence.
Reach out to us on +357 22 000 405
althurayainc.com