The results of the BCD”s annual Travel Programme Survey were released this week.
BCD”s Travel survey, formerly known as the Client Benchmark Survey, was conducted in April 2008. The results, published in Insight on Corporate Travel, were made public at the 40th National Business Travel Association Convention and Trade Show in Los Angeles.
The survey asked 333 travel buyers and managers about their key concerns and forecasts for the year ahead, and found 27 per cent of travel buyers predict demand in Asia will increase by more than 10 per cent by the end of next year.
Robert Pfund, the general manager and vice president of the Asia-Pacific region for BCD Travel, said: ”China and India are driving demand in Asia.” He also pointed to Singapore, Vietnam, Korea and Taiwan as areas of particular growth.
However, the survey showed North America is the region which is most expected to experience a decline in travel; with an 18 per cent decline compared with last year.
In light of the credit crunch, nearly all respondents seemed keen to reduce travel costs, with most European and North American travel management companies saying they will achieve this by encouraging clients to book online.
But despite a more savings-savvy outlook, high on the list of objectives for the year ahead is traveller satisfaction, with 84 per cent of travel managers hoping to improve or maintain this, compared with 80 per cent wanting to improve passenger safety and security.
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Sarah Riches