Business travelers will not hit the road again until their employers say it’s safe and their respective travel policies build in changes around duty of care.
In its State Of The Market study, FCM Travel Solutions and sister company Corporate Traveller say that while restrictions are having the biggest impact on travel plans, according to 93%, it’s closely followed by waiting for a green light from the company for 89%.
Corporate travel policies will need to adapt to ensure travelers are safe, with 59% of respondents ranking traveler and supplier health and hygiene factors as a a top priority.
Duty of care requirements are ranked second, according to 44%, and consolidation of bookings through a travel management company was a priority for 21%.
In response to this kind of feedback, TMCs are increasing duty of care services offered to customers with the launch of Traveller Hub, a repository for the latest COVID-19 travel information.
Traveller Hub includes an interactive map highlighting high-risk areas and local rules and regulations.
A messaging service called Landbot has also been added to Traveller Hub to provide travelers with answers on pandemic-related travel questions.
Other corporate travel specialists have also developed new platforms to provide travelers and travel managers with up-to-date information.
American Express Global Business Travel has unveiled Travel Vitals which brings together information from multiple sources and enables users to search for the latest guidelines by destination, airport or supplier.
Travel Vitals, which is free to any travel manager or TMC, also feeds into digital channels used by American Express GBT’s customers, including its mobile app and online booking tools.
In late-May, TripActions launched new functionality aggregating COVID-19 travel information for companies and travelers.
For the State Of The Market study, FCM and Corporate Traveller surveyed 1,600 travel managers, bookers and travelers in two separate polls in May and June.
Participants were from large companies to small and medium-sized organizations across the world.