Changes in the global economy, like the continued growth of China, are likely to have a major impact on business travel in the next decade, according to the 2005/6 Barclaycard Business Travel Survey.
Generally, the survey predicts that business travel will grow by 17% in the next nine years to 2015. But it will not be an across the board growth.
The study predicts that long haul flights will increase and travellers will spend longer periods away from home.
The miles travelled per week will rise from a current 609 to 712, the report says. This is likely to lead to a 12% increase in the number of flights taken each year from 6.6 to 8.5 by 2015.
Travellers will also more nights away from home with the present figure of 4.1 nights a month increasing to 5.2 nights by 2015.
The other side of the coin is that there will be fewer short haul rips, both by air and train.
While the survey gives no specific figures for the predicted drop in short haul flights, it says that the number of travellers regularly using trains will decrease from 34% in 2005/6 to 25% in 2015.
But Barclaycard and its partner the Future Foundation say there will be a corresponding rise in video conferencing.
It predicts that 50% of workers will use video conferencing in 2015 compared with 26% now. A quarter of those who said they would be travelling less said it was because of the “improved technology” for video conferencing.
Booking methods will also change with about 70% booking online by 2015. Of these, about 50% will be required to book online by their companies.
The survey also threw up some surprises. 38% of respondents said there was no company travel policy to refer to when booking travel and only 61% were covered by company insurance when
travelling.
Tim Carlier, Barclaycard Business sales director, said: "These trends have significant implications for the business travel industry.
"Long distance travel providers will need to respond to the increasingly demanding business traveller who is travelling further distances for longer periods of time.
"Furthermore, the decline in shorter journeys may provide a challenge for the industry to consider other ways in which to grow business."
* Barclaycard questioned 2,500 of their commercial cardholders who included ceos, directors and managers from companies of varying sizes.
* To see full report: www.companybarclaycard.co.uk/information_centre/tibs