Sarah Wilson, CEO at business travel management agency, ACE Travel chats to M&IT about what planners can do make clients’ journeys safer and reduce the multitude of risks involved in leaving your bubble.
Business traveller’s confidence is at an all‐time low and this hasn’t been helped by the UK’s decision to impose a blanket quarantine on all travellers returning from Spain. And in many parts of the world infections are still rising. All of this points to a longer recovery period and more pain for the industry and the global economy.
Sarah WilsonThis is a pressing issue as employers need to ensure passengers to feel safe to travel, and that is a complex mix of factors that extends far beyond any airline’s control. It’s the entire travel journey, from door to door which requires wider collaboration and coordination. Now more than ever, all stakeholders need to take collaboration and coordination seriously for when people do travel for business.
Predictability and preparation, from knowing what is needed ahead of the trip such as the necessity of a completed health declaration form, to understanding specific airline cancellation policies, will help business travellers returning to the skies have better experiences. We’re recommending that each business traveller places increased emphasis on knowledge of their business trip which will allow them to make informed choices to make each traveller confident and comfortable.
In a post‐Covid‐19 era, safety is the new loyalty, and consumers will choose brands that prioritise their well‐being. Traditionally, business travel has focused on costs and compliance as key metrics but now, traveller’s safety will be the top priority. When employees are travelling for business, people will look very closely at suppliers’ policies and practices around cleanliness and hygiene and will choose providers who make them feel confident and safe.
Despite the challenges presented by Covid‐19, we know that sustainability will be an even more important issue in the business travel sector. We have an opportunity to rebuild a greener and fairer future.
Many business leaders who aim to reduce their company’s carbon footprint often overlook how little tweaks here and there to their travel program can make a big impact. For many, weaving eco‐friendly practices into a travel policy seems like an insurmountable task, but it need not be.
Simple aspects such as aligning travel programs to business objectives and collecting and reporting CO2 data, to efficiently planning travel to reduce emissions, is a sensible approach to adapting your business travel plans.
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
