Travel management firm CWT has seen “pent-up” demand for business trips increase as countries, such as the UK, have eased their Covid-19 entry restrictions.
The TMC said there had been a “significant increase in travel” to and from several countries which have relaxed their testing and quarantine rules in recent weeks.
CWT’s data showed that weekly bookings for outbound international travel from the UK have risen by 115 per cent since the government announced on 24 January that testing for fully vaccinated travellers would end from 11 February.
The top five outbound markets for UK-based business travellers were the US, Germany, Spain, Ireland and Netherlands.
Inbound business travel to the UK has also accelerated during the same period – up by 169 per cent compared with the week before January’s announcement. The US, Germany and Switzerland were the top inbound markets to the UK.
Another European country to end testing requirements for travellers is Norway, which has seen outbound corporate bookings rise by 72 per cent, while inbound bookings also rose by 67 per cent over the past few weeks.
CWT’s CEO Michelle McKinney Frymire said: “The strength of pent-up demand for business travel is clear. We are seeing the highest levels of business travel since the pandemic began.
“While traveller health and safety must always remain the number one priority, removing hurdles and uncertainty will be key in achieving a full recovery.
“This, in turn, will help stimulate economic growth, and it is encouraging to see the potential benefits arising from some countries relaxing these restrictions.”