Around half of business travellers choose ‘finding the right’ price as a top priority when booking a hotel, which is positive for buyers who are trying to enforce better compliance within their accommodation program, a study has found.
The GBTA research showed that as price is an issue for travellers they may be “receptive to buyers’ efforts to convince them to book using methods that yield the greatest savings”.
The study, Booking Behaviours: Helping Business Travellers Book Smarter, conducted in partnership with Carlson Wagonlit Travel, surveyed more than 500 North American business travellers. It examined how travellers make bookings for business trips with a focus on hotel bookings revealing differences between types of travellers based on their age and the size of their organisation.
Employees from large organisations were more likely to use a corporate online booking tool than those in smaller companies, the study showed.
When it comes to booking through alternative channels for hotel accommodations, 54 per cent used a direct channel, 41 per cent used a third-party website and 5 per cent used an event registration site.
The study also found that 42 per cent who used an alternative channel said they are not required to share their travel information with their company. GBTA said this “hampers a buyer’s ability to enforce compliance”.
“In identifying the booking habits of business travellers, the study revealed several ways companies can improve their travel policies,” said Joseph Bates, GBTA Foundation VP of research.
“By meeting traveller expectations with corporate booking tools, travel buyers can encourage travellers to stay within the system and not seek out alternative methods. Travel buyers also have an opportunity to influence what travel apps are downloaded and used bringing consistency to the use of travel apps within their travel programs.”
GBTA surveyed around 500 people who had travelled at least once in the past year for business.
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