SMEs give their travellers more freedom to book independently than larger corporate firms, a study has found.
The Business Travel Show survey showed that 71 per cent of buyers with budgets under £1 million are almost twice as likely to give their travellers freedom to book independently.
This is a change from 56 per cent against 62 per cent of larger firms a year earlier. The Business Travel Show said this implies a “tightening up of processes among corporates but a more laissez faire approach from SMEs”.
The study shows that buyers are adopting techniques that “engage rather than alienate or punish travellers” to help drive greater compliance.
Some 19 per cent of buyers are educating travellers about policy. The same number have stopped restricting choice and just 1 per cent are inflicting penalties on travellers who ignore policy.
It also shows 88 per cent of buyers have increased their use of online booking tools, up from 81 per cent in 2014.
“These results are really interesting. Buyers are no longer enforcing policy compliance on travellers and hoping for the best,” said Business Travel Show event director David Chapple.
“Instead, they are investing in processes and education to encourage them to make the right choices, rather than rewarding them through incentives when they do,” he added.
182 buyers were surveyed in November 2015. 72 per cent work in the UK and the 28 per cent in Europe.
Find out more at the Business Travel Show, which takes place 24-25 February 2016 at Olympia Grand in London. Register for free at www.businesstravelshow.com.