" An optimistic vision for the New Year "That's the general mood around business travel, if we are to believe it. AirPlus. The payment solutions specialist has published theInternational Travel Management Study 2017the twelfth annual business travel barometer. By questioning some 1000 Travel Managers and 2200 business travellers in 24 countries, AirPlus has attempted to draw up as complete an overview of the sector as possible. And if the professionals concerned are to be believed, travel is likely to be at least at the same levels as in 2016, if not higher. A slight majority of those surveyed (54%) expects the same number of business trips. Only one professional in 10 (10%) anticipates a drop in travel in 2017.
This finding needs to be qualified, however, as forecasts vary from country to country and from company to company. For example, only 8% of French professionals are forecasting an increase in business travel, whereas the proportion is 71% in the United States... Similarly, this upward trend only affects 27% in companies with a travel budget of 500,000 euros or less, whereas it affects one professional in two (50%) when this budget exceeds ten million euros annually.
Another finding of the study is that the cost of business travel is set to rise this year. In fact, in 41% of cases, travel managers believe that the cost of business travel will be higher, mainly due to the influence of the airline sector.
And the brexitWhat about the UK? This twelfth edition of the ITMS study focuses on the situation in the UK and its impact. An impact that is still difficult to predict, since the optimistic view of local travel management contrasts with the rather cautious attitude of business travellers. Indeed, one in two travel managers expects the Brexit to have a positive impact on business travel, and that it will even help to boost the number of trips. Conversely, among British business travellers, only 19% of those surveyed expect a positive impact, and only 17% anticipate an increase in travel. Logically, travel will be more expensive for British companies, which will have to reduce their travel budgets to cope with the rise in the value of the pound. " The Brexit and its possible consequences are causing as much concern among the French as the weakness of the economy in the rest of the eurozone "said Julie Troussicot, Managing Director of AirPlus France.
