The UK lost £5.4 billion in GDP over the last week due to the
decline in business travel trips following the coronavirus
pandemic, according to the Business Travel Association (BTA).
The association has launched a new Business Travel Tracker tool in
partnership with data provider Travelogix to track business travel’s
contribution to the economy,
The BTA research found that in the third week of May, business trips
from the UK dropped by 89.69 per cent from 2019 pre-pandemic levels, some 131,349
fewer trips in all. It added that the fall in the number of trips on ten key business
routes equated to a loss of £4.4 billion from international business travel and
a further £1 billion from domestic business travel.
The tracker covers routes from the UK to France, Germany, China, the
Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland, Singapore, Switzerland, Spain, UAE and
the USA.
It said that the lack of business travel to France, which has recently imposed quarantine for UK travellers, has cost UK GDP £778 million this week while the
equivalent figure for Germany is £720 million. UK GDP has dipped by £589
million because of the lack of business travel to the US, the organisation
found.
Clive Wratten, CEO of the BTA, said: “The impact on our industry
following the coronavirus pandemic has been catastrophic. As a lucrative driver
for the UK and the world, it is more important than ever to demonstrate the
immense value of the BTA’s members, partners, and the entire business travel
sector."