SINGAPORE, 15 December 2021: Globally, 92% of business travellers demand accurate information on health safety in countries they visit, according to an Amadeus study based on insights of executives in 250 travel management companies.
The study shows that last-minute changes are becoming increasingly common due to flight cancellations and changes in quarantine and testing requirements.
50% of global travellers prioritize disruption management for last-minute changes, compared to 38% of business travellers in the Asia Pacific.
Duty of Care is now identified as the number one business travel requirement for clients – (Global: 65%; APAC: 68%). The need for companies to reduce risk is expected as TMCs now facilitate more than air travel, with rail, hotel, and car bookings included.
When asked about the future of the business travel industry, the survey results showed globally, 49% of TMCs have seen a shift from ‘unmanaged’ to ‘managed travel’.
The number is higher for APAC at 57%. As planning for a business trip becomes increasingly complex with logistical and risk management exercises, employers will require assistance regarding travel arrangements.
71% of TMCs in APAC cited technological advancements as the top strategy for business travel recovery, compared to 63% globally.
Other recovery strategies include cost optimization (global: 49%; APAC: 63%), where TMCs automate tasks like routine service desk enquiries or offer more self-service tools to clients so that they can focus more on the duty of care for travellers, followed by diversification to new revenue sources (Global: 69%; APAC: 59%).
Business travellers are looking for more services and content, which means TMCs can look at different technologies to improve customer service, including mobile apps and messaging tools, virtual payment offerings and self-booking tools with fuller content.
To learn more about the survey results, read the global report here.
