The study published on 17 January by Concur bears witness to the the rise of thecollaborative economy in the field of business travel. The specialist in the management of business travel and expense reports has drawn on some of the best practices in the field. 50,000 expense reports submitted in Franceat United Kingdom and in Germanybetween July 2014 and June 2016. The conclusion is clear: " While the popularity of Airbnb in the personal leisure sector is well established, this trend is now having a major impact on the business travel sector. "As Paul Ponçon, Business Development Director of Concur France, sums up.
In fact, business stays in accommodation on Airbnb represented almost 8.8 million euros. These expenses show a spectacular growth (+60%) over the period studied, although the relatively recent integration of Airbnb's offering into the Concur ecosystem may explain this growth.
According to the study's authors, Airbnb's growth is underpinned by two types of population: employees who travel in teams, and younger people: " Companies are not necessarily turning away from traditional hotel rooms to accommodate their employees, but they have realised the growing enthusiasm, particularly among the most younger generationsto stay in less traditional locations offering the comfort and atmosphere that hotels can't compete with "explains Paul Ponçon. For his part, Emmanuel Marill, Director of Airbnb France, points out that " Company employees have naturally started to use Airbnb for their business trips, particularly when they travel as a team or that they need to stay in a very specific area or a municipality with no hotel ".
From a geographical point of view, the United Kingdom would be the biggest spender on this part of the market. sharing economyBritish companies alone account for two thirds of the total value of reservations on Airbnb over the last two years. The Concur study goes further, analysing in particular the destinations most visited by professionals booking via Airbnb. While London and Paris quite logically dominate this ranking by city, Cannes created a surprise by taking third place on the podium, ahead of Berlin and Munich. Nice, Toulouse and Lyon are also in the top 15 published by Concur.
