Business travelers are anticipating an increase in corporate travel for 2011, according to a new survey from Deloitte. By the end of 2011, 80 percent of business travelers surveyed predict they will take more or the same number of business trips than they did in 2010, with a similar number (79 percent) of respondents indicating that they will also spend more or the same.
“The travel industry was not immune to the economic slowdown, but the confidence demonstrated by business travelers who responded to our survey suggests a brighter outlook for the industry as a whole,” says Adam Weissenberg, vice chairman and tourism, hospitality, and leisure sector leader, Deloitte LLP.
Due to the recession, 72 percent of survey respondents had monitored their business travel expenses in various ways this year. In particular, business travelers said they had cut back on overall travel costs (37 percent), reduced the duration of their trips (33 percent), or spent less on food/restaurants (32 percent). More than one in five (21 percent) booked less expensive hotel rooms.
Additionally, nearly three out of five, 59 percent, of respondents whose companies had corporate travel policies felt the guidelines were now more strictly enforced. Among the top five guidelines noted by respondents, pre-trip approval for business travel (50 percent) was the top company guideline mentioned. Among guidelines related to hotels, 42 percent of business travelers said their company guidelines currently covered booking accommodations in advance, and 32 percent said the guidelines gave dollar spending limits for accommodations.
The Deloitte survey found that the overall hotel experience is important to a majority of business travelers. Roughly two-thirds of respondents said they often work in their room and they also expect a lot more from a hotel than just a clean room and comfortable bed (65 percent). Further, almost four out of five respondents felt that high-speed Internet (79 percent) and free parking (77 percent) were important amenities to them when staying at a hotel for business. A core group of business travelers (30 percent) felt their favorite hotel brand was so important to them that they would stay at that hotel brand even if it were not in the most convenient location. This loyalty was highest among those earning $150,000 or more.
