Travel professionals are worried about changes to their roles, keeping
up to date with travel restrictions and more general uncertainty surrounding
the pandemic, according to new research.
These were the top three responses to a poll carried out by Business
Travel Show Europe which asked travel professionals the biggest challenges
they foresee over the next 12 months.
For the last five years, a pressure to cut costs has featured in first
or second place. This year, cost cutting dropped out of the top 10 altogether
to sit in 13th position.
Airline pricing, Brexit, appointing a new TMC, budget and availability
all maintain their places in the top ten. The pressure to be more sustainable –
which entered the chart for the first time in 2020 – has dropped back out again
to number 11.
Clare Francis, travel supplier category manager at Willis Towers Watson,
who is speaking at the Business Travel Show Europe this autumn, said: “Travelling for business has become a lot more
complicated in the past 18 months, with the introduction of Brexit, the Posted
Workers Directive and A1 considerations, as well as the obvious Covid-related
quarantine and testing requirements.
“However, since many colleagues haven’t travelled for an extended period
of time, many of these new and confusing restrictions are still unknown to
them, so education and communication are going to be a big part of our
“reimagining travel” strategy. It’s no longer possible to make spur of the
moment decisions to hop on a plane and visit an international client, which
will come as quite a shock to many who have be used to doing this for years.”
Scott Davies, CEO of the Institute of Travel Management, said: “The
results of this survey echo the sentiment that we are hearing from our buyer
community around the challenges of conveying accurate information to travellers
and bookers. This isn’t just regarding different Covid travel restrictions and
testing protocols, but also regulatory requirements for business travellers
entering and travelling within the EU. These are complex topics, hence we
recently established an EU Travel Taskforce, to support and guide travel buyers
as they prepare for increased international travel volumes.
“Similarly, the results mirror how our buyer members are conscious of
changes to their role. The complexities of travel buyer roles and
responsibilities have pivoted and evolved over the past year in the wake of Covid-19.
Additional areas that now fall within buyers’ remits include new reporting
requirements (such as CO2), traveller health and lifestyle expectations, and
sustainability measures. Most of ITM’s buyer members believe that the perceived
internal value of their role and remit will increase as business travel
resumes,” said Davies.
Louis Magliaro, executive VP, BTN Group, added: “What a difference the
last 18 months has made to our industry. Covid really has turned the world on
its head for both European business travellers and buyers who continue to face
uncertainty around the pandemic as well as non-pandemic related issues such as
Brexit, sustainability and supplier/partner negotiations.
“With over 170 suppliers, including TMCs, airlines, hotel chains, ground
transportation specialists and technology providers, and a two-day conference
programme packed with on-the-money content, Business Travel Show Europe really
is the place to find the solutions to all of the challenges facing European
buyers today and over the months ahead.”
Some 337 respondents answered the question ‘As a buyer what do you
foresee to be your biggest challenge over the next 12 months?’ as part of the
11th annual Business Travel Show Europe buyer survey in July 2021. Business
Travel Show Europe takes place 30 September and 1 October 2021 at ExCeL London.