Managing the return to travel has been listed as the top
priority for travel managers for 2022, followed closely by duty of care,
traveller wellbeing and sustainable practices, according to the latest
Institute of Travel Management (ITM) survey of buyer members.
Revealingly, almost half of respondents said they feel their
online booking tool is not ready to support delivery against these priorities.
The ITM conducted its annual member survey over a two-week
period at the end of November, with 100 corporate travel buyers, managers and
heads of travel with a mix of global, EMEA, UK and Ireland responsibilities responding.
Aside from Covid-19, the major challenge buyers will face in
2022 is the continuing complexity of border restrictions, quarantine and
testing protocols, with 88 per cent of respondents saying this would be the top
factor to negatively impact their confidence in business travel levels next
year.
EU legislative changes relating to travel will also knock
confidence levels, with 49 per cent of those polled ranking this in second
place. Asked whether their programmes are fully prepared for managing new European
regulations, 46 per cent said ‘no’. This compares to 45 per cent last year,
indicating little progress has been made as Covid complexities and low travel
volumes masked the required changes, according to the ITM.
Sustainability came in fourth place on the list of
priorities for the second year running, but the ITM said it has in effect moved
up the list owing to the new number one priority of the return to travel.
Despite influencing sustainable practice ranking as the
second biggest challenge for travel managers in 2022, 40 per cent said they
currently do not stipulate that suppliers must comply with their sustainability
requirements.
Nevertheless, travel policies are evolving; 36 per cent of
buyers said their policy allows travellers to select a sustainable option for air
travel, even if the cost is higher. This is up from 30 per cent in 2020 and 17
per cent in 2019. Furthermore, 47 per cent said they would favour sustainable
ground transport options over cost.
And the majority of travel managers (58 per cent) expect to
see a modal shift in air to rail travel in 2022 as travellers seek more sustainable
options. This is compared to 33 per cent last year.
Meanwhile, diversity, equity and inclusion has moved into
the top 10 priorities for the first time, rising two places to ninth for 2022,
and budget control has fallen two places to sixth.
Nearly half (48 per cent) of buyers expect their travel
spend to be down by 50 per cent in 2022 compared to 2019 volumes. They will also
allocate only 25 per cent of their budget to internal meetings, compared to 50
per cent pre-pandemic.
The pandemic has also caused 51 per cent of buyers to say
they will not make any changes to their TMC commercial models. Thirty-eight per
cent said they would switch to a hybrid model, while only 2 per cent would
accept a subscription model.
One of the positive outcomes of the pandemic has been the
visibility of the role of the travel manager; 58 per cent of respondents said
they have noticed a favourable impact on their profile and value within their
businesses. Only 5 per cent said they had been affected less positively.
Almost all respondents have taken on additional
responsibilities during the pandemic, including corporate cards, traveller
guidance and safety, risk management and engaging with senior executives
regarding the return to travel.
More than a third said they are actively involved in their
company’s rationale about the value and return on investment of an in-person meeting.
ITM chief executive Scott Davies said: “This is not only
enlightening for the whole business travel community but enables us to focus on
continuing to provide essential support, guidance and educational programmes to
our members. This is even more important as buyers manage the return to travel
and navigate so many different complexities, challenges and priorities.”