The Business Travel Association’s annual conference got under way in Antwerp, Belgium, today (12 September) where chief executive Clive Wratten and chair Suzanne Horner commenced proceedings.
“I’m confident we’re now working towards the final stages of recovery but it would be naive not to expect or plan for the next event,” said Wratten, who noted business travel’s contribution to UK GDP had almost halved since the pandemic, falling from 10.4 per cent to 5.5 per cent.
The organisation’s profile rocketed during the pandemic when Wratten was a regular interviewee on TV and radio, representing the beleaguered travel industry.
“It might seem like we’ve been less active post-Covid but there’s lots going on behind the scenes in 2023,” said Wratten, highlighting its ten in-person events, 12 webinars, four APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Group) meetings, ten meetings with Border Force, six with IATA and two with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office so far in 2023.
Horner added: “When I look back at those 18 months of turmoil I see camaraderie. We actually spoke to each other, we brainstormed, we worked together. Now we’re competing again, chasing results and we don’t have the time.”
She continued: “Do we let outside influences define our industry until the next Covid happens and we get back in our huddle? Our voice needs to be even louder than it was during the pandemic. We need to ensure business travel is represented and understood and we don’t lose the momentum we’ve got from the last three years.”
In a subsequent panel debate with TMC leaders, Altour managing director Maria Baty said: “If there wasn’t value in business travel we would not have seen the bounce back that we have. We’ve also proved that a TMC is essential. Customers look to us not just for service excellence but for new ideas and advice. We’ve become quite ingrained in a lot of procurement teams more so than before.”