What Trends Will Business Travel have for 2021?

The way we travel and the frequency of travel has changed dramatically in 2020 and will continue to do so.  What will business travel be like in 2021? Business travel is expected to slowly increase in 2021, but will be much different.

Can we zoom instead?

Video meetings have boomed over the last 8 months, and we are likely to see this trend continue. But are they as effective? What we’ve learnt from our new lives at home with Zoom, is that while we can do a lot of things, we can’t form the same level of connections with new clients. When it comes to entering into new deals and forming that trust relationship, Zoom isn’t always the right fit. With more people working from home and companies looking to minimize their employees from COVID related exposure, video calls will continue, but aren’t a replacement for travel.

Instead, we are seeing less restrictions on business travel, allowing travelers to fly in premium classes of service and higher category hotels in order to ensure travelers experience travel with heightened protection measures in place.

Drive vs fly?

Traditionally business travelers have flown to complete their travel quicker, especially for closer destinations. Business travelers are now driving to meetings to reduce the possibility of COVID contact.

Business trips are being booked with less advance notice.

Why? There is so much unknown. Will quarantine rules change? Will the traveler be exposed? What happens to the airline credit? It is key that the airlines and hotels keep flexible travel policies in place throughout all of 2021.

Important pieces of information travelers and companies need to continue to hear about are the ever changing standards for hygiene in airports, on airplanes and in hotels. This will encourage travelers and companies to not restrict travel for these factors. 2021 will see new certification  standards for sanitation and cleanliness.

Business is Ready to Travel Again

Business travelers are ready to travel again, and while we are starting to see those trends increase, some companies are holding back due to so many variable factors. Travel Leaders 365 has deployed and implemented several new technologies to ensure that both travelers, and the companies they work for, have confidence in the journey’s that they take:

  • Access to In-house staff 24/7 by phone, chat and email
  • COVID-19 Travel Restrictions and Health Information through our Mobile App
  • Availability of Travel Insurance
  • Duty of Car Reporting
  • Maximizing unused tickets
  • Legal representation while traveling
  • Leveraging flexible vendor policies on change fees

While there is still much to be seen about how travel will work in 2021, Travel Leaders 365 will be working diligently to ensure that your travelers are kept safe, supported and in touch through our their travels.