POST-COVID-19 PANDEMIC ‘ STANDSTILL’ BUSINESS TRAVEL’S STILL STANDING

After more than two years living ‘inside’ – fearing an ever-developing deadly virus and unpredictable accompanying restrictions – the global pandemic standstill turned the once powerful international business deals and world conferences, that decide the world’s fate, into cyber-restricted Microsoft Teams and Zoom web calls.

Corporate travel, unlike leisure travel, has faced a slow return – like international versus domestic has. Great domestic travel, both leisure and business, have seen greater return through vaccine rollout success and updated Disease Control and Prevention Center (CDC) guidance – but business travel has faced much slower return due to the complexities, situations and considerations between nations.

Before Covid-19, conferences and trade show accounted for significant business travel volume. But these now remain mostly online (virtual). Most offices also remain closed, or partially open. This limits travel related to sales or corporate-based projects on both international sides. Many clients, partners and vendors have been reluctant to allow employee occupation, so international visitors are a whole other ‘kettle of fish’. Many companies have also found it difficult to ‘send employees away’ following long-term world uncertainty.

But there is hope. As conditions improved and restrictions eased, 2022 saw many conferences and industry international events return – both in blended (hybrid) and in-person formats. 2021’s second half, and 2022’s first half saw many companies engaging in ‘essential-only business travel’ – with relative success. The face-to-face interaction value was re-recognized by world business leaders. And like ‘return to office’ based workers, former ‘world warriors’ were eager to return to conference rooms, hotels and airports – a practice significant to their roles and international client relationships.

Obviously, business travel resumption is necessary for competition and imperative growth. But will the former international business travel return? That’s unlikely. The reality falls somewhere between the newly adopted hybrid space (an online and in-person blend) and the world we once knew. A benefit coming from this ‘difficult time’ was reevaluated assessment on travel and its impact on the environment and the bottom line – and on instances that are better suited to the now widely adopted ‘tech platformed format’.

Deloitte’s 2022 Why We Fly Matrix report used a qualitative and quantitative research combination, with quarter-by-quarter projections, to gauge business travel’s timing and nature return. Deloitte predict that 2022’s end, and 2023’s beginning will create a new near normal business travel – a level it will sustain for the next several years. If arrival quarantines for the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Europe are significantly reduced and stable health situations continue – former 2019 US business travel levels could reach 80% in 2023. A four times growth from where business travel stood in Summer 2021.

This is most reliant on those who are working to remove current robust corporate travel barriers and other significant challenges. But if world public health outcomes are slower at improvement than predicted, or international movement solutions encounter political roadblocks – former 2019 US business travel levels will only reach 65% in 2023.