Nearly two-thirds of member corporate travel managers surveyed this month by the Global Business Travel Association believe their organisations' employees now are ready to travel for business, the highest figure by a good margin recorded in the monthly surveys the association has conducted in the past six months.
Some 53 per cent of 332 buyer respondents to the 12-17 April poll indicated they believed their organisations were "somewhat willing" to travel for work, with an additional 12 per cent marking travellers as "very willing." Combined, that 65 per cent indicating at least some willingness is up from 55 per cent each in February and March.
Respondents were surveyed after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on 2 April that travellers fully vaccinated for Covid-19 "can travel safely within the United States" without the self-quarantine or test for the coronavirus, unless their destination requires it. About 64 per cent of respondents said that updated guidance made them personally "somewhat" or "much more comfortable" about the possibility of business travel, and 52 per cent projected the move would have "some" or "major" influence on their companies' timeline to restart travel. About 15 per cent indicated the CDC's move would have "no influence at all."
Less travel, more duties
Meanwhile, about 57 per cent of respondents indicated their job responsibilities have changed as a result of the pandemic, and 66 per cent of them said they have more. About 48 per cent of those who said their responsibilities changed noted their companies now have more people and departments involved in decisions regarding travel policy, and 19 per cent indicated that their organisations now require broader levels of approval to change policy. Respondents were permitted to select more than one answer.