Here's CWT chiming in with one of the first set of predictions for business travel for 2013 .
The travel management company is betting fairly safely, in our humble opinion, on some of the trends that we're likely to see in 2013 - further developments in consumer technology in business travel as well as hotel reviews and mobile...
No surprises there really, CWT has just unveiled its Hotel Intel private review service (1 in 3 business travellers already post reviews) and its recent acquisition of Worldmate will boost its mobile offering.
Other trends of note include game techniques to improve travel policy compliance, the implementation of social strategies by up to two-thirds of global travel managers and a focus on well-being.
CWT unveiled plans in the summer to develop an algorithm to gauge cost of travel versus cost to the individual traveller for a Stress Index.
Anyway, roughly half the A-Z is tech related with other trends highlighted including more virtual assistants at airports and hotels, a watchful eye on ancillaries and improvements in expense management systems for a better user experience.
And finally, X and Y suggest some sort of power-play between generations with Gen Y wanting it all mobile while Z is given over to 'Zhong Guo' (China) and the opening up of global distribution systems in China following deregulation.