global business travel association survey

Majority of Travel Buyers See Continued Growth in 2024, Says GBTA Survey

by: Harvey Chipkin

• Year-over-year gains in travel volume and spending. Eight in 10 (83%) travel buyers surveyed say their 2023 global business travel bookings increased versus 2022 — whether significantly (31%), moderately (37%) or slightly (15%). The story is similar for travel spending, with 84% of buyers reporting their travel spending increased significantly (33%), moderately (38%) or slightly (13%) over the same period.
• Momentum is expected to continue in 2024. Most travel buyers expect their company’s business travel spending and volume to increase in 2024 compared with 2023. Six in 10 buyers (59%) expect the number of business trips will increase at their company in 2024 compared with 2023, while only 11% expect employees will take fewer business trips in 2024. Additionally, two-thirds of buyers (67%) expect their company’s travel spend to increase in 2024 versus 2023, while only 11% expect their spending will be lower.
• Bidding pandemic considerations adieu. Over half of respondents (57%) feel it is no longer relevant to compare industry performance for 2024 against 2019 pre-pandemic levels. However, one-third (32%) maintain the comparison still has relevancy for the coming year. Additionally, when asked about top industry issues anticipated for 2024, pandemic concerns landed at the bottom of the list, cited by only 1% of those surveyed.
• Potential challenges on the horizon. Industry stakeholders report their top 2024 concerns include the rising cost of travel (66%), overall economic concerns (46%), company budgets not keeping pace (42%), travel disruptions (32%) and geopolitical concerns (22%). Climate impact and sustainability was cited as a top concern for 2024 by 19% of respondents overall — but for European respondents, the figure is 41% versus 12% in North America. Additionally, technological advancements, including artificial intelligence, were cited by 19% of all respondents as a top concern, but figures differed between travel suppliers (27%) and travel buyers (13%).
• Barriers in attracting and retaining industry talent. When asked to rank five barriers to achieving a diverse, robust workforce in 2024, respondents say unappealing salary levels and benefits (53%), lack of qualified/experienced candidates (48%), lack of organizational investment in retaining and developing talent (40%), lack of attractive job roles (39%) and required hiring and training of new industry job seekers (36%).
• Corporate (buy-side) travel teams expect status quo on staffing levels. Three-quarters of travel buyers (76%) do not expect to increase the size of their internal travel in 2024, while nearly 1 in 6 (14%) expect to add staff. Almost half of suppliers (46%), however, project an increase in staffing levels at their company in 2024.
• Why we’re traveling for business now. When asked how business travel will likely be allocated in 2024 in their company, travel buyers cite sales/account management meetings (36%, up from 28% in the GBTA January 2023 poll); external conferences and industry events (20%); and internal meetings with colleagues (20%) at the top of the list. Rounding out the list were service trips (9%, down from 14% in the GBTA poll from 12 months ago), employee training and development (7%), supplier meetings (6%), and other types of business travel (5%).

Categories: News Association News

Tags: Association News GBTA

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Leverage Uber for Business

Uber for Business and GBTA release new research on business travel priorities

If we know one thing for certain, it’s that over the last couple of years we’ve experienced a paradigm shift in the way that business gets done. From how companies address the needs of their employees to how they work with their customers, these changes have had a profound impact across various industries, and the transportation sector is no different. 

According to a Global Business Travel Association survey in June 2022, 83% of business travel professionals said their company had already resumed domestic business travel. Sixty-three percent had resumed international business travel, up about 30 percentage points since GBTA’s February 2022 poll.

With corporate travel and in-person meetings increasingly returning, businesses need to be extra thoughtful about how they’re implementing—or re-implementing—travel programs.  

In conjunction with this meaningful return to business travel, Uber for Business and GBTA have published a first-ever ground transportation report, “The Corporate Travel Comeback: The Evolution of Ground Transportation and Other Trending Business Travel Topics,” based on a quantitative survey of corporate travel managers across the US and Canada. 

In partnering with GBTA, the world’s premier association representing the global business travel industry, Uber for Business is uncovering pressing concerns and considerations from travel managers at some of the world’s largest companies. 

Shifting priorities: from safety to sustainability

The report finds that travel managers are laser-focused on a few key considerations when it comes to business travel. When thinking about their company’s current approach to managing ground transportation, survey respondents identified some of the top strengths of their travel programs, as well as notable areas for improvement.

• Travel managers rethink priorities: Most travel managers say their programs are more focused on traveler safety/well-being (75%), sustainability/social responsibility (55%), and travel policy compliance/enforcement (53%) than they were 2 years ago.
• Ridesharing and rental cars top the list: Most travel managers say their company’s employees “frequently” use rental cars (82%) and rideshare apps (70%) on work trips, but fewer than half (48%) say employees frequently use taxis.
• Ground transportation goes premium: Most travel policies at least sometimes allow chauffeured transportation/black car service (74%), premium ridesharing (68%), and premium/luxury rental cars (51%). Roughly one-third say their company’s employees “sometimes” or “frequently” use chauffeured transportation (36%) or premium ridesharing, such as Uber Black and UberXL (30%).
• Sustainability is top priority, despite the cost: An overwhelming majority (84%) say sustainability is at least “somewhat important” in the design of their company’s travel program, with 50% saying it is “very or extremely important.” However, not all are willing to incur significant additional cost in order to achieve more sustainable outcomes. Only 6% of respondents say their company currently allows employees to spend more on sustainable travel options, while an additional one-quarter (26%) are considering allowing employees to spend more.
• Business and leisure, better together: Ninety percent of respondents say employees are more (30%) or equally (60%) as interested in bleisure travel (adding vacation days to their work trips), compared with pre-pandemic times. Although 36% say their company’s travel policy expressly allows bleisure trips, 49% say their policy does not, but employees are often allowed to take these trips in practice.

Business travel isn’t just about getting from point A to point B 

In addition to airport rides, business managers are also thinking about where employees are getting their next meals between or during meetings and once the workday is done.

• Inflation’s impact on meals: Meal prices are rising because of sky-high inflation that’s expected to keep running hot. While almost one-third of respondents (29%) say their company has raised its spending limit or per diem for meals, a larger number (56%) say these are unchanged from last fiscal or calendar year.
• Food delivery is here to stay: More than half (55%) of travel managers say their company’s employees at least sometimes use food delivery apps on business trips, and 32% expect employees to use them more than they do today.

Next step: applying the data 

As companies increasingly take business on the road, understanding travel managers’ priorities is more important than ever. The real action, however, lies in how companies are incorporating these findings into their own travel programs.

For Uber for Business, identifying these new priorities allows us to better help customers build more effective travel policies through relevant new products and features. The data is even more powerful when paired with the growth in the travel sector: Uber has seen airport rides grow 166% from the past year. It’s clear there’s a definitive increase in both business and consumer travel this year. 

On a larger scale, the learnings from this report can help travel managers fine-tune and revamp business travel programs at their company and prepare for increased corporate travel as the year continues—taking into consideration business travelers’ needs at all stages of their journey.

To learn more about which priorities are top of mind for business travel managers, read the full report here .

Posted by Uber for Business

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Global meetings industry day on april 11 champions value, benefits of business events and meetings.

PRESS RELEASE April 09, 2024

WASHINGTON -

Under the banner theme of “Meetings Matter,” Global Meetings Industry Day is April 11, a day dedicated to championing the undeniable professional, personal and economic benefits of business meetings, trade shows, conferences and conventions. 

“In-person meetings and events are essential to the success of businesses and individuals across every industry,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman. “Global Meetings Industry Day is an opportunity to highlight how this critical sector fuels local economies, business profits, individual growth and the professional relationships that advance common causes.”

Impact of Meeting and Event-Related Travel

In 2023, spending on meetings and event-related travel totaled $119 billion in the U.S.—directly supporting nearly 600,000 American jobs . Hosting events, conventions or trade shows stimulates a region’s economy through bookings at event and meeting facilities, stays in local hotels, dining in restaurants and shopping at local retail stores.

Building and fostering relationships is a proven key for business success—and meeting face-to-face advances these connections and collaboration. According to a study by American Express Global Business Travel, 81% of survey respondents agree that in-person interactions foster greater levels of innovation for their business. Further, nearly 85% of study respondents say their organization realizes tangible business value from trips to meet with clients, customers or prospects in person.

GMID 2024 Events and Activiations

Approximately 50 businesses and organizations across the U.S. are planning to celebrate this year’s GMID, including:

• Hilton is inviting organizations to share their meeting success story for its contest, “The Meeting That Meant Everything”.
• Meeting Professionals International (MPI) will host a 12-hour broadcast featuring industry leaders sharing insights and experiences on the impact of meetings on the global economy.
• The Las Vegas resort community will unite to celebrate GMID with a marquee takeover featuring the campaign hashtag, #MeetingsMatter, and Las Vegas resorts will feature blue exterior lighting to mark the initiative.
• PCMA's Capital Chapter is holding a discussion on the current landscape and impact of the industry at the Washington Convention Center in D.C.
• NC Meetings Mean Business Alliance will host informational and educational sessions on the meetings industry followed by a celebration.
• See other GMID 2024 scheduled events here .

GMID is powered by the U.S. Travel Association’s Meetings Mean Business Coalition, co-chaired by Meet Boston President and CEO Martha Sheridan and MGM Resorts International Senior Vice President & Chief Sales Officer Stephanie Glanzer, who will participate in a national radio tour on April 11 in support of GMID.

Social media GMID content will be organized using the hashtags #MeetingsMatter and #GMID2024 .

Learn more about GMID .

U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing the $1.3 trillion travel industry, an essential contributor to our nation's economy and success. U.S. Travel produces programs and insights and advocates for policies to increase travel to and within the United States. Visit ustravel.org for more information.

Greg Staley

Senior Vice President, Communications

202.408.2162