31 BT Show poll 30/1/09 11:27 Page 31
BT Show preview 31
btshowresearch
A BT Show survey of corporate travel buyers shows they are switched on to the realities of the
current climate – but they’re a long way from sounding the death knell for business travel...
An exclusive survey by the
1. How many business trips do your travellers take each Business Travel Show for ttgbusiness has Figure 1: When do you think things
year on average? revealed that the outlook for business will pick up again?
The results showed an average of 13 business trips per year travel is worse than predicted. In
response to the question: When do you
6%
2. Are you downgrading your air travel – ie buying think things will pick up again? almost
12%
flights in a cheaper cabin? two-thirds of travel buyers polled said
Yes 65% 12-24 months (see figure 1). BT Show
No 23% event director David Chapple says he is
17%
Plan to in the next six months 12% firmly in the 12-24 months camp, with
an emphasis on the latter figure.
3. Are you downgrading your accommodation – ie from “Those people who think things will pick
five to four star, or from four star to three? up within three to six months are taking
Yes 41% a very optimistic view,” he says.
65%
No 47%
Plan to in the next six months 12% Things can only get better
The overall view of the economy is borne
4. Are you asking travellers to transfer from taxis and out by the other responses, with just 2% ■ 3-6 months ■ 12-24 months
chauffeur drive to public transport? of respondents stating that they would ■ 6-12 months ■ more than 24 months
Yes, all trips 18% take more trips as a result of the
No, not yet 76% downturn (Q6). The defining response sacrifice their creature comforts such
Plan to in the next six months 6% was travellers will be taking the same as TV, Wi-Fi, bar and restaurant,
number of trips – but with a reduced particularly if they are staying for three
5. Will the increasing pressure to be environmentally budget (38%). This is borne out in Q2: nights or more. I think those doing an
friendly impact on your business travel? Are you downgrading your air travel? overnight are not so bothered about the
Yes, fewer trips 25% 65% of buyers said they had downgraded bells and whistles.”
Yes, looking at video conferencing 26% their cabins, and 12% were planning to However, the response shows that
No 49% in the next six months. Chapple says 12% of travellers do plan to downgrade
these responses underline the importance where they stay on business in the next
6. How will the ‘credit crunch’ affect business travel in of good negotiation skills when dealing six months.
your company? with suppliers to ensure that travel Chapple says it was a similar sort of
It won’t 21% budgets go further. result when travel managers were asked
More trips 2% “When times are tough, it’s no good whether they were making their
Fewer trips 39% burying your head in the sand,” he says. travellers get onto the tube and bus and
Reduced budgets for same number of trips 38% “This is the time to get tough, get in forego taxis and chauffeurs. A massive
front of suppliers, renegotiate your deals 76% of respondents said they would not
7. When do you think things will pick up again? and ask them for more.” make people use public transport,
3-6 months 6% However, there appears to be an compared to with 18% saying they had
6-12 months 17% anomaly in the responses, in that already done so. Just 6% said they
12-24 months 65% respondents are split on downgrading planned to in the next six months (Q4).
more than 24 months 12% their accommodation, with 41% saying
they will and 47% saying they won’t. Is green the new black?
The survey, conducted over January 15-19, Chapple comments: “The two The results for Q5, on the impact of
questioned 170 business travel buyers responses don’t seem to match up. It environmental pressures on travel, are
could be because accommodation is in line with most surveys about “green”
cheaper than an international business- practices within corporates: a quarter
class ticket, although domestically it’s the of respondents said it would lead to
reverse. I think the responses show that fewer trips; a quarter are trying video-
business travellers are still unwilling to conferencing and half remain unaffected.
ttgbusiness.com ❖ february/march 2009
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