A degree of continuity amidst uncertainty: that's how you might sum up the fare forecasts unveiled on 16 November by American Express Global Business Travel (GBT). An exercise made all the more perilous by the fact that the context remains unstable: "After an uneven year for business travel in 2016, characterised by a limited rise in prices, the 2017 forecasts revealed by American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) predict similar trends: an increase in the number of business travellers and an increase in the number of business travellers. stagnant or moderate price growth for air, land and hotel transport"The preamble to these annual forecasts warns. It adds: "For the EMEA zone (Europe, Middle East and Africa), estimates show that security issues, political concerns and Brexit are causing uncertainty".
However, French Travel Managers can expect prices to fall slightly. American Express GBT forecasts a lower fares for long-haul flights (Business class) and medium-haul (Economy class), down 1% and 1.5% respectively. The hotel sector will not be spared by this downward trend, albeit to a lesser extent: the business travel agency is forecasting a decline of 0.3%. On the other hand, the German market should see a rise in air fares: +1.5% on long-haul routes, and above all +3% on the medium-haul network. Hotel rates will remain stable (0%), again according to TMC forecasts. Further afield, we should also mention the sharp fare changes expected in the Americas. Witness the forecasts for the Argentine market, where hotel rates are set to soar (+15.5%) while short-haul flight prices are set to fall by 6.5%...
Faced with the uncertainties weighing on the market, American Express is inviting Travel Managers to go back to basics: " Travel managers need to focus on the things they can control, such as the request managementthe compliance with internal policyand the passenger satisfaction "Rodolfo Elizondo, Vice President of American Express Global Business Travel and Head of Global Business Consulting. He adds: " This will enable them to reduce risks and optimise budget savings ".
