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no restaurant is going to sit you outside in the rain. It’s just stupid.” She said: “Don’t rob people of
the experience.” Nahai added: “Travel is so
personal. Many of us want to escape daily life or the humdrum, and that is going to look quite different for some people to others. “You can give people what
they’re familiar with, what they feel safe with, or ‘interrupt’ them. I might have expectations about where to go, but an unexpected, compelling advert might be enough for me to think about a brand I’ve not encountered before.” Asked about under-the-radar
consumer trends, she suggested one is a “desire for immersive experiences that aren’t mediated by technology”, arguing: “There is a reason why the use of phones is banned at some gigs. The whole point of being at a concert is that you’re with other people having a collective experience. You can’t replicate that through a screen. “A generation of people have
grown up not knowing anything other than a technologically mediated environment. Not being welded to their phone is going to be a discovery for them.” Nahai characterises AI-
produced content as “AI slop”, saying: “Everything sounds the same, looks the same, reads the same, the tone is the same. “If everyone is optimising
like this, maybe what you need is human thought, voices, stories – something personal that is unique.”
i For full details about The Travel Convention, and to register, visit:
abta.com/events/the-travel-convention
BTA calls on TMC sector to ‘step out of shadows’
Ian Taylor
The Business Travel Association (BTA) unveiled a “blueprint” for its future at its conference in Munich last week with chief executive Clive Wratten telling members it is time travel management companies (TMCs) “stepped out of the shadows”. Wratten suggested there is “a big
job to do” to change perceptions of the sector, insisting: “Business travel isn’t just about suits and briefcases.” He said “it’s frustrating talking
to politicians” and argued the BTA needs to exert its influence on government and public opinion and educate clients and suppliers, saying: “It’s time for TMCs to step out of the shadows and claim their place as economic enablers.” Wratten noted research among more
than 1,000 corporate travellers for a BTA white paper issued at the conference found (62%) of UK business trips were domestic and “tradespeople travel the most, not executives”.
Economist warns UK economy faces ‘pretty big pain’
The UK economy is trapped in “a doom loop” and there is “some pretty big pain” to come, corporate travel leaders were warned last week. Simon French, chief economist
at analyst Panmure Liberum, noted global unemployment is “at a low point” and there is “a lot of headroom” for further reductions
62 18 SEPTEMBER 2025 He said: “The BTA’s role is to
champion TMCs, but we represent the voice of the managed travel sector not just TMCs.” Wratten argued: “Why do we need
to change perceptions? When you’re misunderstood, you’re undervalued – and when you’re undervalued, you’re underinvested in. We see that with the rail network. When the government understands the value [of a sector], investment follows.” He outlined four “pillars” of the
BTA’s strategy: to become “fully the voice of the sector”, to present TMCs “as marks of excellence”, to attract “the next generation of talent” and
in interest rates when he addressed the Business Travel Association (BTA) conference in Munich last week, asking: “So why does it appear we’re in this ‘doom loop’?” French blamed the fact that
there is $280 trillion of debt in the world economy, noting: “History tells us we need significant remedial action when debt gets too high.” He warned: “There is some pretty big pain to come.” He added: “Headline inflation
in the US is tracking back up, the average tariff on goods is 19.7%, a level last seen in 1931, [and] the
Clive Wratten
“to establish the BTA as an authority the government should listen to”. Describing it as “a blueprint” for
the future, Wratten told members: “Business travel is at a crossroads. We have to change the image of this industry.” The white paper, entitled ‘Beyond
the Boardroom’, highlights the diversity of UK business travellers, who range “from community nurses and skilled tradespeople to consultants and caterers”, with research suggesting 72% use TMCs across all types of trip. Wratten said: “We commissioned the report to challenge outdated assumptions.” The BTA announced Douglas
O’Neill, chief executive of Inntel, as the new chair of its board in place of interim chair Mervyn Williamson after Suzanne Horner stood down earlier this year – with the addition of Donna Fitzgerald of Clarity Travel Management and Louise Hutchinson-Chambers of Corporate Travel Management giving the board a 50:50 gender split.
Simon French
cost of long-term debt remains high.” French told the BTA: “The real
growth in the world economy is in India and China, which are on totally different paths to the US and Europe.”
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURES: Dean Rossiter Photography
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