Business travel on the horizon?
In a region that relies heavily on the travel industry, easing travel restrictions and returning to the office come with great expectations on what it means for business travel. Some professionals are keen on booking flights and resuming face to face meetings with international colleagues and clients, while many companies are still good with online video calls. Will it make a return as well in expat-oriented GCC??
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Pandemic years making it clear that face-to-face is not a must to do business pose the question: Is the shift to online meetings here to stay, or was it only a coping mechanism out of lack of other options? and now that office life is back to normal, will traveling for work follow??
Short business trips might not be a default again for some time as long travel restrictions come and go; PCR tests mandates and potential quarantine risks. Add to that companies’ slashed travel budgets as demand (and sometimes possibility) decline, and it becomes clear that pre-pandemic travel habits will not make a comeback overnight.
Travel and tourism contributed 9.5% to the GCC’s GDP in 2019, then decreased to 5.6% in 2020 with travel restrictions and entry rules. The Middle East and Asia are expected to lead the global business travel growth in 2022 to reach two thirds of pre-pandemic levels, with the Middle East forecasted to increase spending by 32% this year, according to a report by World Travel & Tourism Council and McKinsey .
If corporates can do with online meetings for now, airlines and hotels need business travel to return to normal as soon as possible, as up to 75% of airline profits and 70% of high-end hotels profit came from business travelers globally.?
Why do we “travel for work”??
Another report by Deloitte maps out ten common objectives professionals said they traveled to meet face to face in order to achieve, and how important they are for a business’ success.?
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The graph shows an area where technology is able to replace the need for travel to reach a goal that is crucial to business success such as small internal meetings. It also pinpoints relationship building and new client acquisition as areas where face to face interaction is very important, and where the return of the need to travel internationally will have to come back to meet.
Redefining business travel?
“It’s a vacation, but not really” is something you might start to hear more and more as “wrokcations” take off.?
With the rise of “workcation” and work-from-anywhere programs, a new type of travel takes shape; traveling somewhere fun, on your own budget or making use of a remote working package offered by some workplaces, could be for an extended time, while still working.?
These trips provide a break and some balance needed to recharge somewhere new without compromising vacation days and still getting things done. Some do it to move closer to family or work from their home country for some time while they can.?
You can look at it as another flexible option that could be on the table only because working from anywhere has become more normal than ever. But will these options only be temporary or have they proven their long-term efficiency??
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2 年Commendable!!!
VP of Operations
2 年Well for regular meetings maybe not but for people who do international business absolutely. Not only visiting existing and new clients but checking quality etc etc I can see an increase in some travelling. Good Year 2022 to all
Infection Control Professional @ acute care hospital in North America | CIC, CMDRT, CHE
2 年Pandemic restrictions taught us if a physical presence in front of each other is mandatory in order to succeed business plans! Previous and traditional business travel method has been substituted by a virtual travel which has infinite advantages. Metaverse ideology is an example.
Goal Oriented Sales Professional
2 年I believe technology will not replace the behaviour of personal contacts in terms of one to one meetings, despite the fact that we can share the thoughts via online meeting but the gesture we feel through face to face meeting will be more productive, that's why in today's world we cannot say that technology replace the personal behaviour of one to one meetings for business productivity. Further, we can balance the budget through technology to avoid unnecessary traveling or frequent travelling if there is a chance to solve the matter via online meeting, for example: Job interviews, Employer or recruiter don't need to call the candidate to visit the site if they can meet online to exchange views, this will not impact on business if you recruit a person via online meeting to know how well suited he/she is for the business. Travelling will always important not only for the business but for yourself as well.