Only 28 per cent of business travellers are currently able to use their smartphone to book hotels from their managed travel programmes, according to new research.
This was one of the findings of a business travel report commissioned by technology firm Amadeus, which was released at today’s GTMC Autumn Conference in London.
The study, called Business Travel Insights: Hotels 360, also found that being able to book the hotel they wanted was the most important priority for business travellers (37 per cent) – ahead of being able to choose flights (34 per cent).
The vast majority of travellers surveyed (85 per cent) said they were able to book the hotels they wanted “most or all of the time” through their corporate programme, while 68 per cent said that they were also allowed to take part in their preferred loyalty schemes.
Respondents also wanted to see hotel reviews from other business travellers (38 per cent) while 22 per cent would like to read reviews from their colleagues.
Just under one-fifth (18 per cent) of travellers said they would consider using “sharing economy” accommodation platforms such as Airbnb to cut the costs of travel, but this shot up to 54 per cent for those in the generation Y age group of 18-34-year-olds.
The majority of Gen Y travellers (64 per cent) also viewed it as essential to hold “face-to-face” meetings with clients, colleagues and business partners - this was above the overall average of 50% who said these meetings were vital.
Diane Bouzebiba, managing director of Amadeus UK & Ireland, said it was important to understand “what makes business travellers tick”.
“It reveals what is important to business people of all generations in the UK and Ireland when travel includes an overnight stay,” she said.
“Such insights will help Amadeus to continue developing evolving technologies as we work together to shape the future of travel.”
The Amadeus report was based on the answers of 445 regular business travellers in the UK and Ireland who were surveyed by research firm Audiencenet in September 2014.
GTMC chief executive Paul Wait added: “It is vital that the service offered by TMCs meets their needs and stretches their ideas whilst balancing the financial and safety aspirations of their company.”