transportation capacity taxed and restau- rants jammed, most companies will surely cancel or, more likely, postpone routine business travel until after the Games.” McGill says he would certainly be advis- ing business travellers to avoid Rio during the Games if the journey is not essential. “Hotel rates are likely to be 3-5 times
Rio de Janeiro
He adds that, as an example, the London Olympics of 2012 saw many traditional business visitors avoid the city during July and August but warned against assuming this situation will “necessarily happen again in Rio”.
BUSINESS OR LEISURE? Travellers will converge on Rio from all over the world. Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) economist Ken McGill says: “Most of the travel sur- rounding the Rio Olympics would be classified as leisure, not business. While there will certainly be some corporate travel associated with sections, such as print and broadcast media, security and hospitality, the bulk of Rio’s visitors will be leisure travellers and sports fans.” He says this type of operational business
The Zika threat
TEAM GB’S SCOTT FIELD SAYS: “The British Olympic Association always has the safety and welfare of our athletes and staff as our utmost priority. As such, we are monitoring the latest information and advice in relation to the Zika virus.” All travel planners and managers should be similarly vigilant in their duty-of-care to their travellers. At the time of writing, the ongoing Zika outbreak, having first been identified in Brazil in 2015, has been reported in over 30 Caribbean and Latin American countries. The World Health Organisation states there is no specific treatment or vaccine
currently available and says the best form of prevention is protection against mosquito bites, which includes using insect repellent regularly and wearing light- coloured clothing over as much of the body as possible. Ideally, travellers should seek health advice at least 4-6 weeks before departure. Pregnant women, in particular, are being advised not to travel to Brazil unless absolutely necessary.
58 BBT MAY/JUNE 2016
Taxed capacity during the Games will put hotel prices way up, particularly among mid-level and luxury properties
travel would constitute 10-15 per cent relative to all Olympic travellers. Looking at the bigger picture, McGill
adds: “One should also consider the business travel that will be displaced or crowded out by the Olympics. With hotel rates carrying huge premiums, ground
above normal average daily rates [ADRs] for this time of year,” he says. “Rio, and indeed Brazil generally, lacks adequate room supply for normal travel levels. Taxed capacity during the Games will put hotel prices way up, particularly among mid- level and luxury properties. Furthermore, rental cars will be largely unavailable, traffic will be snarled up and public transport will be packed.” One option for travel planners strug- gling to find hotel rooms in Rio will be to turn to Airbnb – the Games’ official ‘alternative accommodation services supplier’. Airbnb claims firms that use its services for business travel save on average 30 per cent over tradi- tional accommodation.
FIVE-STAR EXPERIENCE Co Sport, Great Britain’s official autho- rised ticket reseller for the Rio Olympics, has been preparing for years to ensure the company’s clients enjoy a good experi- ence at the Games. Working with Jet Set Sports, Co Sport is offering fully customised and managed programmes to clients, building each programme based on the client’s specific interests and typically including five-star hotel accommodation, dedicated trans- portation and dining options. Corporate clients can use these programmes as, for example, sales incentive packages or as part of internal reward programmes. With an office in the host city, Co Sport
and Jet Set Sports sourced accommoda- tion from two- to five-star hotels several years ahead of the Games. Co Sport has its own hospitality centre for clients and their guests in Rio and is also working with selected restaurants, with which the company has been building relationships for several years, to arrange fine dining events for corporates. Rio has been preparing for the Olympics since October 2009. The corporate world has been busy lately, too, planning safe and successful trips to the Games. Deals will be conceived, discussed and possibly even signed. If all goes well, there might even be time to watch some sport.
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
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