How is a player like American Express GBT looking ahead to 2021? Despite the current climate, are there any grounds for optimism or certainty?
Yorick Charveriat - The year 2021 is fast approaching and the outlook is of course linked to the pandemic and treatments and vaccines that will be put in place. The only thing we can anticipate, as mentioned in theEVPit's a gradual and asynchronous recovery of activity, which is expected in mid-2021 if health conditions allow, or in 2022 or 2023. Paradoxically simpler to have a long-term perspective. In this context, we believe that business travel back to where it was in 2019This will probably take several years. What is certain is that travel will not disappear, but companies and players in the sector will have to concentrate on the essentials. As far as business is concerned Meetings & Eventsdigital meetings and events and hybrids have clearly made it possible to offer an effective alternative, as long as you are creative! In our view, this trend will continue in 2021, as we set out in our Meetings & Events 2021 Forecast.
At GBT, we firmly believe that tomorrow's business travel will see the emergence of new needs and new expectations in terms of travel. To respond to this, we need to mobilise all the stakeholders in business travel - travel managers, HR, those responsible for security issues, all the decision-makers in the company - so that we can work together to sketch out the shape of our future partners.
Is an agency like American Express GBT now equipped to face the coming months with a shred of serenity?
Yorick Charveriat - I don't think we can speak of 'serenity' for the coming year. The travel sector as a whole - leisure, business and events - has come to a major halt and it will take time to rebuild. For our part, yes, GBT is well equipped to deal with the situation, we dealt with it in 2020 and we're ready for 2021, but the situation remains difficult for all the players in the industry, with the loss of revenue and the loss of profitability.uncertainty on the reopening of borders and the lifting of quarantines at the finish line, but I think there are some great opportunities for reinvent themselves In any case, we're continuing to work to develop the company and satisfy our customers. GBT's major projects for 2021 include the integration of a dimension of "responsible travel We've already started on this subject in 2020 and we'd like to make it a priority in 2021. For us, it's crucial to raise our customers' awareness of the need to travel responsibly and ecologically - even if it may seem contradictory, it is possible to travel responsibly! In fact, we've already started to raise awareness on our Neoby integrating tools for selecting flights with lower CO2 emissions.
We are also working on simplifying processes and improving direct communication: the debate about the balance between costs and the well-being of the employee on the move, which was a real issue a few years ago, seems obsolete today. There is a desire to refocus on safe and comfortable travel for employees. It was with this in mind that we launched the Travel Vitals which allows travellers to obtain information directly online via a single entry point, travellers should not be short of information when they are on the move.
Finally, and above all, we must pay special attention to our employees, who have not been spared in 2020, but who have been able to respond, and I would like to thank them for that.
Indeed, 2021 will be another a complicated yearAll these factors will require us to plan even more effectively, while fully respecting the work-life balance of our employees.
the question of "whether" business travel will return is not relevant for our customers; it is crucial to the development of companies
What is the mindset of American Express GBT's corporate customers today?
Yorick Charveriat - Our customers are all expressing a desire to get back on the road, and we're looking at this from the point of view of travel alone, but we mustn't forget that travellers are on the move for a reason: meetings to sign a contract, IT support, customer meetings, and so on. All to improve their business. So the question of 'if' business travel will resume is not relevant for our customers; it is crucial to business development. However, the question of 'how' it will be resumed is an angle that we are studying more closely. Depending on the needs of our customers, we discuss it together to build a roadmap that suits everyone, taking into account the restrictions in force. We are in an exceptional position to create and strengthen confidence in this a new era in business travel.
What might the new role of the business travel agency be in supporting them in 2021, and will this involve expanding your skills, perhaps with new acquisitions?
Yorick Charveriat - I wouldn't say that the agency has a new role to play; our core business has always been to advise and support customers and travellers during their trip and in optimising their policy. However, it is our duty to raise awareness of the rules to be at the heart of the information, and to follow to the letter the rules laid down in the travel policyIt's through faultless compliance that security can be guaranteed. So I would say that the role of the agency in 2021 will be to listen to the market, its customers, its partners and its employees, to make sure that no one is left behind. As far as broadening the scope is concerned, it's hard to say at the moment, because every player in the industry is different, so it's possible that there will be some moves or acquisitions over the coming year, but is that really an issue? I believe that everyone will do their best to get byIt will take the actions it believes to be right and sustainable, and that's not bad at all!
Are you confident that face-to-face meetings will return in 2021, or will videoconferencing remain the preferred method? Should we expect a "hybrid" year, and if so, will American Express GBT have to transform itself into a "hybrid TMC"?
Yorick Charveriat - I believe that videoconferencing and travel are incomparable. Having also worked all year in "visio", I can tell you that we have looking forward to meeting our customers face-to-face ! There are always problems with bandwidth, with people who are on mute, with people who are having work done in their building, with people who can't get online. In short, you can't really say that it replaces the quality of a journey! On the other hand, yes: it has enabled us to keep the discussions going, to see each other from time to time, and for that I have to say it's been useful. Now, will this continue in 2021? That will depend on how the pandemic and global solutions evolve. I quite like the termhybrid" yearEven when we are in our 'new normal', there will be a period of adjustment for everyone. The famous change management that we are so fond of will also apply to the resumption of travel. But can we talk about a hybrid TMC? I believe that today TMCs are already hybridThey offer booking, consulting, events management, communications, financial consulting, compliance consulting, data analysis and sometimes even psychological support! So to speak of a hybrid TMC would imply that the agency performs only one role, which does not reflect reality.
