TRAVEL MANAGEMENT

The new Omicron variant is causing panic among governments. Coupled with the new wave of Covid-19 in Europe, the two factors are leading to new, more restrictive travel rules, and even the closure of countries to foreign travellers.

The discovery of the new Omicron variant from southern Africa has panicked authorities around the world. Many countries, including France, have cut all links with the region. Others are simply closing down.

From the evening of 26 November, Morocco suspended all flights to and from France. This measure is intended to protect against the outbreak of the pandemic affecting many European countries.

Since Monday 22 November, Austria has been under total confinement. However, travel to and from the country remains unaffected...

BCD Travel has just announced the launch of a new mobile application, called BCD Alert, designed to guarantee the security of business travellers more effectively by offering travel managers greater visibility and responsiveness.

Oliver Wagner, CEO of AirPlus, was in Paris to answer some questions from Voyages d'Affaires about the upturn in business travel and the return of activity to appreciable levels, the growth of digital payment, the development of the corporate card, and whether or not Lufthansa is considering selling the company.

The American Express GBT application now also covers expense reports. The TMC has just integrated Neo into its mobile tool, and is launching a new "Green Compass" service to help companies reconcile business travel with a reduction in carbon emissions.

In response to the resurgence of the virus in Europe, France is imposing new measures on unvaccinated travellers arriving from around 15 European countries, including Belgium and Germany.

Cambodia's surprise announcement that the country will be fully reopened to foreign travellers without quarantine is the latest positive step in a series of reversals over the last 15 days concerning the rules governing entry to the Kingdom. For its part, Malaysia has just announced that it will reopen to foreign travellers on January 1. Other ASEAN countries should soon follow suit...

The 3G health rule is gradually being transformed into 2G. The resurgence of Covid cases has prompted Germany to tighten restrictions, while Austria is under total confinement for three weeks.

The "2022 Global Meetings and Events Forecast" report published on Tuesday by American Express Meetings & Events forecasts a return to pre-pandemic levels in one to two years' time. But the optimism of professionals varies from region to region...

Japan has finally decided to allow vaccinated business travellers to visit the country with a three-day quarantine. A proposal that could prove a little more attractive to French professionals who need to travel to the Japanese archipelago...

The return of domestic business travel contrasts with the sluggish recovery of international business travel, as shown by the figures revealed at the beginning of November by International SOS.

Founded in 2015, ShareGroop is a young French start-up offering flexible payment solutions for the purchase of services, mainly in the tourism and transport sectors. A few explanations on the role ShareGroop plays and the possibilities for using this payment solution from Quentin Arnoult, Marketing Director.

Israel and Thailand are probably the countries receiving the most media coverage following their international reopening. But we can also include Nigeria, Argentina and India.

Even stricter confinement rules have just been approved by Hong Kong's executive. This confirms the desire of the local government - and therefore of Beijing - to disconnect the city even further from the outside world. And to reduce its autonomy.

Bangkok is once again accessible to vaccinated travellers, with no quarantine and minimal restrictions compared with other destinations in South-East Asia. Pragmatism has finally won the day...

For Ziad Minkara, the role of a hotel booking tool in the business travel ecosystem has been strengthened. An upturn, growth in the customer portfolio despite the crisis, and adapting to changes in the market: here's an overview from the CEO of CDS Groupe.

The United States has finally confirmed the date on which its borders will reopen to vaccinated travellers. The date will be November 8. The announcement of the date had been pending since the previous announcement in September of the end of the ban on non-essential travel for vaccinated travellers.

Yorick Charveriat, Vice President and General Manager France at American Express Global Business Travel (GBT), looks back over the latest news from the TMC, and his outlook for the coming weeks in a market that is still uncertain.