Fewer than one in five travel buyers and procurement
managers expect their organisations to introduce restrictions on nonessential
business travel due to the emergence of the Omicron variant of Covid-19,
according to a new survey of Global Business Travel Association members.
According to the survey, conducted 6-12 December by GBTA,
about 17 per cent of the 345 buyer members polled cited new restrictions, with
an additional 19 per cent indicating their companies were considering new
restrictions. About 53 per cent indicated their companies had no plans to do
so, with the rest unsure.
Health officials have cited the emergence of the Omicron
variant, first observed last month in South Africa and subsequently found
throughout the world, as a factor in rapidly increasing Covid-19 case count
totals observed in the UK, Europe and elsewhere.
Several countries, including the UK, France and US, have revised entry
procedures as a result of the variant's emergence.
About 23 per cent of the GBTA member buyers surveyed
indicated the Omicron variant would likely disrupt their organisations' plans
to let employees attend in-person meetings.
The vast majority of the 309 GBTA member suppliers surveyed
indicated they were concerned about the effect of the variant on business
travel demand. Nearly 90 per cent of suppliers said they anticipated Omicron
would have at least some negative impact on "revenue from business travellers
and corporate travel customers", while 37 per cent of suppliers reported
their bookings from corporate customers had declined in the two weeks following
the variant's emergence.
Meanwhile, two-thirds of the full base of 732 respondents
indicated countries should permit entry only to those international travellers
who can prove they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Another 18 per cent
suggested unvaccinated travellers who have recovered from Covid-19 should be
allowed entry, while 10 per cent said there should be no entry restrictions.