More than half of Travel Counsellors for Business clients anticipate corporate travel resuming from July, with one in five planning to restart between April and June.
The TMC also found that 80 per cent of the 400 clients surveyed in February believe virtual meeting technology is not a sufficient replacement for face-to-face meetings in the future. Only two organisations said digital solutions had replaced their need to travel.
More than 70 per cent of the TMC’s clients are small and medium-sized businesses.
Survey respondents further highlighted the need to boost confidence and offer levels of reassurance around the booking process, pre- and post-traveller information, and safety and cleanliness protocols, with a high priority on business travellers’ safety and wellbeing.
More then three-quarters of respondents said that ensuring travellers were vaccinated would provide the greatest level of reassurance, closely followed by flexible booking policies and booking with a trusted travel professional.
“The cohort of survey respondents that represent the SME sector are prioritising the health and safety of their travellers, but are ideally looking for the most agile ways to get people back on the road,” said Travel Counsellors corporate managing director, Kieran Hartwell.
This has included measures to enhance now outdated company travel policies and to improve full visibility of processes and suppliers’ health and wellbeing policies, he added.
Hartwell expects domestic business travel to pick-up soon after the reopening of self-catered accommodation in England in April and hotels in May.
The organisation says new business travel bookings so far in March are running at 25 per cent of 2019 levels, with manufacturing, construction and professional services the most active sectors.
Domestic UK trips account for most bookings, with the USA, France and South Africa the most popular overseas destinations.