In a report published at the end of July, the Accor paints a picture of the future of business travel in Europe. This report is part of the Accor Master of Travel. These meetings regularly bring together business travel managers to share their views on future demand.
In his latest series, Sophie HulgardSenior Vice President Sales Northern Europe at Accorbelieves that business travel in 2022 is down 20% compared with 2019. It is even somewhat pessimistic about future demand. It states that these 20 % of missing business meetings should never actually return to Europe. Some have simply been replaced by virtual equivalents. Still others are no longer considered necessary.
The environment is becoming an increasingly important factor in the assessment of business travel
In its study, Accor states that the priorities of a meeting or business trip are now re-evaluated in terms of sustainability and environmental protection. According to Accor, the new priorities defined in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) now widely include the idea that ". travelling less saves the planet" .
"Every trip must therefore justify its carbon emissions. Offsetting is no longer enough, and our hotel partners must prove that they are actively reducing their ecological footprint", said a travel consultant during Accor's Master of Travel.
The idea thata single night away is no longer in vogue and is exceptional. This gives hotel groups the option of refining what they offer to business travellers, whose priority is "useful travel". In particular, they encourage them to make longer stays.
Bleisure and workation: the future of the business traveller?
According to a participant in the Master of Travel: "We encourage our employees to assess whether they can stay longer". Or to combine a business trip with a leisure trip. Workations" are a flexible solution adapted to these new trends - extending and staying longer is an incentive to partly "decarbonise" your business.
However, these new trends are unlikely to have a major impact on the business of hotel chains. The Accor study reveals thatin terms of revenue, a real meeting is worth more than three virtual meetings in terms of work done.
Business travel is likely to continue, albeit at a slower pace. Employers will be doing more to compare hotel and transport options. And they will also be calculating the carbon emissions generated. This, in turn, will encourage longer stays and promote "bleisure".. A concept which, in the past, was not always considered an attractive option.
