The number of bookings for business trips within the UK has
recovered to more than half of pre-pandemic volumes, according to the latest
data from the Business Travel Association and Travelogix.
Domestic bookings for the fourth week of September were at
53 per cent of pre-pandemic volumes – the highest level since May this year
when the organisations began charting business travel recovery and the first time the figure has exceeded 50 per cent.
International travel bookings for the same week, however, totalled
just 21 per cent of pre-pandemic volumes.
Nevertheless, both figures show the strongest week-on-week increases
in bookings to date.
The organisations say the 79 per cent slump in international
business travel bookings to ten key destinations has cost UK GDP £4.01 billion
and the 47 per cent fall in domestic bookings a further £756.6 million.
“With
the Government’s amber list lifting yesterday, the BTA is hoping to see more
recovery, with increased bookings and revenue in the coming weeks,” said the
organisation.
Meanwhile, Travel Counsellors says business travel bookings are up 40 per cent in the last four weeks and has secured more than £1 million in bookings in each of the last eight consecutive weeks, which has doubled from this time last year.