Safety, security among top priorities for corporate travel managers in 2016: CWT study

EIGHTY per cent of global travel managers surveyed for CWT’s Travel Trends, Program Priorities: A Traveler-Centric 2016 have named safety and security as factors that have a high or very high impact on their travel programmes next year.

The same sentiment is shared by their peers in Asia-Pacific, with 75 per cent of travel managers here ranking safety and security as top priority.

The online study which had surveyed 1,016 travel managers/travel buyers from 515 organisations in 55 countries worldwide in October and November, also found that 63 per cent of respondents expect mobile and wearable technology to have a big impact on their travel programme next year, while 58 per cent of them are looking for more data on traveller behavior and programme performance.

In addition, low-cost carriers (LCCs) will continue to have a high or very high impact on travel programmes in 2016, according to 53 per cent of respondents.

Growth has been particularly dramatic in Asia-Pacific in recent years, researchers noted, adding that LCCs have taken over 60 per cent of capacity share in several domestic markets, such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

The study pointed out that in business travel, LCC’s capacity share has grown to 12 per cent overall, but varies widely between countries, ranging from only a few per cent in Australia and Japan to the bulk of air bookings in Thailand and India.

Commenting on the study, David Moran, executive vice president of CWT, said: “Travel managers have told us loud and clear that the traveller experience will play a major role in the 2016 travel programme. Whether it’s proactive destination information, help in an emergency, multichannel access or personalised services – everything is designed to provide travellers with a seamless experience at every stage of a trip.”

Fast facts:

The percentage of respondents who agreed the trend would have a high or very high impact on their travel programme:

•    Safety and security – 80%

•    Mobile and wearable technology – 63%

•    More data to consolidate – 58%

•    Big data and personalised travel programs – 54%

•    Low cost carriers – 53%

•    Virtual payment – 51%

•    Personalisation – 49%

•    Virtual assistants – 36%

•    Environment – 35%

•    IATA’s New Distribution Capability – 33%

•    Sharing economy – 32%

•    Enhanced TMC services – 28%

•    Bleisure – 16%

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