BUSINESS NEWS DfT Business Travel Survey: Poll tracks 2024 trends and outlook for 2025. Ian Taylor reports
Share of firms with a decarbonisation plan drops to 65%
Two-thirds of DfT Business Travel Survey respondents (65%) reported their business has plans to decarbonise – 34% ‘definitely’ and 31% ‘thought so’. The proportion with
decarbonisation plans rose to 80% at large businesses (45% ‘definitely’) and 76% at medium- size businesses (35% ‘definitely’) but was down to 50% at small businesses (25% ‘definitely’). However, the overall figure was
down from 72% in 2021, reflecting a drop of seven percentage points in those believing their business had such plans, while the proportion reporting no plan to reduce their carbon footprint doubled from 4% in 2021 to 8% this year
Survey suggests fewer businesses have plans to cut their carbon footprint
and hit 40% at small businesses. Of those with plans, one in
six (16%) expected a reduction in air travel and two out of five (42%) reported plans to use videoconferencing to reduce business trips, up from 40% in 2021. There was a six-percentage-
point rise to 27% in respondents reporting adoption of ‘sustainable’ travel providers. But the proportion incentivising ride-sharing halved from 27% to 14%.
Survey reveals views on remote working, fares and airport growth
Half the respondents in the DfT Business Travel Survey (48%) reported remote working had reduced the amount of corporate travel, although only a third (33%) at small businesses did so. A majority of respondents still
considered in-person meetings important, especially at conferences (74%) and site visits (72%). However, two in five (41%) considered training, research, education and general business meetings could be conducted remotely. When asked the most-important
factors affecting future travel for work, 46% identified cost, 33% the availability of direct flights, 30% flexible travel options, 27% airport location and 27% the time taken to travel. Respondents at
In-person business meetings are still valued
large businesses were most likely to look for direct flights (39%) and flexibility (39%). More than half (57%) agreed
UK airport expansion would benefit their business, with 22% agreeing ‘strongly’. Of those at large businesses, 71% agreed, falling to 42% at small businesses. One in 10 (10%) disagreed, 6% strongly, and 12% at smaller businesses.
Business trip downturn continues Ian Taylor
A Department for Transport corporate travel survey has confirmed a significant drop on 2019 in the numbers who travelled overseas on business last year and no expectation of an increase this year. The survey of more than 1,000
business travel ‘decision makers’, conducted in March but published this month, found 23% travelled overseas on business in 2024 compared with 27% in the 12 months to February 2020, with the proportion expecting to travel abroad this year also 23%. One in three (34%) reported
travelling domestically on business, down from 37% in 2019. Of those travelling overseas, more than two in five (43%) did so at least
travelweekly.co.uk
once a month and 28% up to three times, with 8% travelling once a week and 2% daily. Just over half (54%) travelled less
than once a month. Nine out of 10 travelled by air, with 37% going by rail including Eurotunnel. Europe was a destination for 84%,
with 43% heading to North America, 23% to the Middle East, 18% to Central or east Asia, and 17% to south or southeast Asia. More of those at small businesses
(29%) anticipated travelling abroad this year than last (26%). However, only 20% at large businesses expected to travel overseas for work this year, the same as last year, and 20% at medium-size businesses, down from 23% in 2019. Smaller businesses also showed the strongest recovery in domestic
Poll found 23% of respondents travelled abroad last year – down from 27% in the year to February 2020
travel, with 39% making a trip last year – on a par with the 40% in 2019. A third of respondents at medium- size businesses (32%) travelled domestically on business, compared with 34% pre-pandemic, and 30% of those at a large business did so, compared with 34% in 2019. Seven out of 10 domestic business
travellers (71%) reported travelling at least once a month in 2024, and
one in three (32%) at least weekly. The survey suggested the rate of
domestic travel this year should at least be on a par with 2024. The most-common form of
domestic travel was by road, at 29% of trips, but 14% involved a flight – up from 10% in 2019 – and 25% rail travel, half of it long distance. Travellers on behalf of large businesses were most likely to fly.
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Shutterstock/Leszek Glasner, Fahroni, Rawpixel,com
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