How the Rollout of Vaccines Impact the Corporate Travel? A Brief insight
Apr 15 / admin@aplbc
With vaccines now available, there is a clearer future for business travel on the horizon, but it also brings some various organisational complexities for travel managers. Questions regarding hygiene, safety, and testing protocols plague business travellers and the organizations they represent.
Major corporations have praised the usefulness of video-conferencing software, as well as the money saved. Many people have already vowed to reduce their carbon footprint. The result could be slightly a deterrent for those trying to resume their road-warrior lifestyle.
According to a recent survey of travel managers and procurement experts commissioned by the Global Business Travel Association, the availability of a Covid-19 vaccine would be an “important consideration” in more than six out of ten organisations’ decisions to restart business travel.
Regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, many corporations banned all business travel, while others permitted only required travel. Now, when vaccination programmes begin to roll out across the globe, our experts at AP LBC agree that things will change; when the vaccine becomes more widely accessible, there are encouraging signals that business travel may resume a certain semblance of normalcy.
An internationally recognised and understood digital health passport would eliminate some of the challenges and uncertainty associated with travelling to various countries and understanding their criteria. However, this does not suggest that business travel would be the same as before.
Blended workplace: A Seamless flexibility!
Many businesses will most likely conduct business using a hybrid model in which “virtual and face-to-face interactions combine.” People are now used to operating remotely and interacting online, and this convenient and effective form of doing business will be continued. However, the importance of face-to-face meetings is becoming more generally recognised. As a result, the future workplace will be a hybrid workplace in which remote work, collaboration days, and face-to-face meetings all have space, allowing for greater flexibility.
South Africa: Setting an example!
Travellers’ highest priority will continue to be their health and welfare. South Africa’s travel sector has gone over and beyond the World Health Organization’s recommended safety protocols. This has tended to ease fears and travel uncertainty in recent months, as corporate travellers resumed their journeys. These new and strict health guidelines are expected to stay in effect in the future.
Touch less travel: A new standard!
‘Touch less travel’ is expected to become the modern norm. Many travel providers have now adopted contactless technologies to further flatten the curve, but advancements in this technology will continue. Travel companies will work with technology companies to build personalised applications to offer full peace of mind to their tourists. Touch-free experiences, gadgets, and applications can be introduced in the business travel experience. If expert analysts are to be trusted, soon enough it won’t be necessary to touch a door handle on a plane or turn a light bulb inside your hotel room.
Future flight schedules would likely be drastically different. Because of the recent disruptions to air transport, the feasibility of routes would be scrutinised. As a result, there could be fewer travel opportunities, fewer regular connections, and potentially longer journeys. Travel costs can also arise as a result of decreased demand and resources.
Vaccine Drive: The poll and stats behind the numbers!
Approximately 61 per cent of the 353 people polled online by GBTA said vaccine accessibility would be an “important factor” in their decision-making process, while another 23 per cent said it would be a “moderate factor.” Just 2% of those polled believed vaccination would not be a consideration, while the rest were unsure.
Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine has been authorized for immediate use in many nations, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. Moderna’s second vaccine has been approved for emergency use in the United States. Certain vaccines are awaiting approval; China and Russia have licensed vaccines produced in those countries. Distribution in the United States remains limited.
Travel buyer respondents were less certain of their corporations’ positions on vaccinations for corporate travellers.
Approximately 8% of respondents said their organisational employees would be able to travel until vaccinated, whereas another 21% said their companies would still mandate “a large portion of the workforce” to undergo the vaccination before authorizing permission to travel. Approximately 12% suggested that their businesses would need only a large portion of the workforce to be vaccinated for flight, while the remaining 59% is unsure.
Meanwhile, 39 per cent of travel buyer respondents announced that their organisations had begun to prepare to schedule or attend meetings in 2021.
When the vaccine is distributed around the globe, business travel will resume!
At AP LBC, we agree that while business travel will not be the same as it was before the pandemic, it will return as the vaccine is rolled out across the world – better, faster, stronger, and more flexible than before.
With AP LBC, you are still engaged in the hospitality business, as we have been since the beginning of our journey. So, while we recognise that there is no one approach to achieving success, we have the experience and knowledge to develop the solution that is best for you. Each partnership we form is special, with its own set of challenges and priorities. As a result, the professional advice we provide is tailored to your specific needs, resulting in solutions that solve your problems and pave the way to your success.
