How do business travellers view the hotels they stay in on their business trips? To answer this question, BCD Travel surveyed 1,035 business travellers around the world. The first positive finding was that seven out of ten travellers were satisfied with their company's hotel policy and preferred suppliers.
Unsurprisingly, the major groups occupy a privileged position among these suppliers. According to BCD, 77% opt for hotel chainswhich are reassuring in terms of service standards. Business travellers don't really like surprises when it comes to resting before a business meeting. In fact, they tend to remain loyal to an establishment when they are satisfied with it: 73% stay in the same hotel when they visit a destination repeatedly. A loyalty that is not necessarily disinterested... Overall, eight out of ten travellers are members of at least one loyalty programme. The figure is as high as 99% in the United States.
Despite the persistence of travellers, the study of BCD Travel invites companies to regularly reassess the needs of mobile employees and adapt their travel policy accordingly. " A successful hotel programme is never static "says Teri Miller, Executive Vice President, Global Client Team at BCD. " It's a dynamic strategy, shaped by continuous monitoring of fares, traveller behaviour and agile adjustments. By adopting dynamic sourcing, travel managers can respond in real time to changing needs and market conditions, creating programmes that generate savings, build traveller confidence and drive adoption. "adds Teri Miller.
Dynamic management of the hotel programme should make it possible to eliminate the friction points that can spoil the traveller experience. Among the problems highlighted by the BCD study, the most recurrent are slow Wi-Fi connections, the absence of breakfast included, and outdated rooms with uncomfortable beds. Reservations can also be frustrating, particularly when the price cap is deemed insufficient.
Booking is also the focus of the BCD study. According to the study, 84% of business travellers use their company's online booking tool (OBT) to finalise the transaction. One user in five books directly via supplier websites.
Finally, the BCD study allows us to reassess the focus on sustainable development in hotel programmes. On this point, the findings are - very - mixed: half of travellers rarely or never take environmental aspects into account when booking a hotel. And four out of ten employees take no account whatsoever. Pledges of eco-responsibility such as ecological certification, reduction of single-use plastics, carbon emissions, or water-saving devices are only useful for a minority of travellers: one employee in five is interested in these criteria... But according to BCD Travel and the authors of the study, the fault lies mainly with the business travel industry, which - despite recurring advertisements on this theme - do not place enough value on sustainable options.
" Hotels may not be the biggest contributor to carbon emissions in a travel programme, but they remain an essential part of an overall sustainability strategy. "says April Bridgeman, Senior Vice President of Hotel Solutions. " Travellers often don't take sustainability into account when looking for a hotel, as most booking tools don't offer filters or clear information on the subject. We advise our clients to integrate sustainability into their annual hotel sourcing exercise and then communicate expectations and objectives to travellers to help them make better choices. ".
