Airplus has released the findings of its 13th annual International Travel Management Study (ITMS), which shows travel managers worldwide are expecting an increase in business travel this year.
Globally, 35 per cent of managers expect to oversee more business trips in 2018, but those in emerging economies are more optimistic – in India, 70 per cent of managers see an increase, followed by 55 per cent in Brazil and 54 per cent in China.
Perhaps as a result of uncertain political and economic times, travel managers in the US and UK are changing their tune; the number of respondents expecting growth in business travel has decreased dramatically from previous surveys (25 per cent compared to 50 per cent in 2017), while the proportion that foresee less travel has more than doubled (12 per cent versus 5 per cent).
The survey also included business travellers, who revealed they are increasingly turning to hotel review sites when planning a work trip (93 per cent).
Business travellers are also coming round to the idea of virtual payments, with 46 per cent of virtual credit card users so persuaded by the proposed benefits of such payments after their first use that they turn to them regularly.
Airplus analysed data from more than 3,000 travel managers and travellers in 24 countries to compile the ITMS, which can be downloaded at its website.
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