How are travel trends shaping the industry?

Corporate travel is an important part of almost every business. As Covid-19 restrictions loosen, the travel industry is growing and returning to its pre-pandemic state. However, some priorities have shifted as companies realize that despite advancements in technology, there is no substitute for face-to-face interactions. Let’s take a closer look at travel trends that will shape the travel industry in 2022.

Work From Anywhere
One of the most transformative changes taking place in the travel industry is the new phenomenon of working from anywhere (WFA). The ability to work from home is significantly changing the way people travel. Travel is taking place more frequently and for longer amounts of time. Allowing people the freedom to choose where they work results in a happier and more productive organization.

This WFA trend allows employees to travel the world, while still working. A recent Forbes report states that over half of companies have travel policies that allow for employees to extend a business trip into vacation time. Employees are more inclined to travel if the opportunity to experience the destination is available. Adding some extra days to your business trip to explore the culture, food, and sights of your destination are becoming more and more common.

The mixture of business travel with pleasure travel is opening up more travel opportunities. Lenient office policies allow workers to travel anytime, even during the workweek, as long as deadlines are met and productivity continues. New best practices are emerging. WFA keeps employees out of a designated office and opens doors to new travel experiences.

Incorporating Sustainability into the Travel Policy
To reduce our carbon footprint in the transportation sector, sustainable behavior must be widely adopted and integrated into our work and travel routines. Organizations are looking for ways to reduce their program’s carbon footprint. Employers are making more environmentally-friendly decisions in 2022.

A report conducted by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) found that companies want to make their travel programs more sustainable. The commitment to sustainability is not as time or cost-consuming as it used to be. Every organization should be introducing measures to take action in reducing their carbon footprint as part of their travel policy.

Tackling Cybersecurity Risk
Cyber threats and their potential impact continue to grow each year. Protecting your organization and travelers from active threats is a daily responsibility. It is important that employees have proper security training so they can take the necessary precautions when taking a business trip.

Business travelers are likely targets of cybercriminals. They carry multiple devices when they travel, and they are visiting unfamiliar places. They have been pulled from the security of their company’s infrastructure and information technology. It is crucial that secure communication methods between employee and employer are established. Employees must be educated about all travel risk precautionary measures that have been taken. They must be able to master the technology they have been equipped with and recognize unusual activity.

Unconventional Travel Accommodations
There has been a growing trend in corporate travel of opting to stay in rental properties rather than traditional hotels. These non-traditional accommodations provide a more homey feel. Airbnb, and other similar accommodations, became popular during the pandemic because they allowed for more social distancing. These properties also provide more workspace, home-like amenities, and comfort. Having several employees share a multi-bedroom house is preferable to a luxurious hotel. Trips that last a week or longer become much more comfortable when staying in a place with amenities such as a kitchen and living room. Keeping travelers happy and controlling or reducing costs is driving this trend.

Advanced Travel Technology
Accurate and usable travel information on one platform makes data easily accessible. In 2022, travelers must be armed with all necessary restrictions, procedures, and requirements for their trip. Advancements in technology make navigating the complexity of corporate travel more manageable. International business travelers will spend less time waiting in lines at airports thanks to facial recognition technology that helps speed up border protocols. Improvements in technology enable self-service and make travel seamless.

More Flexible Corporate Travel Policy
In 2022 it is critical that employers provide travel choices for their employers that align with their unique needs and preferences. This encourages transparency and establishes trust between employers and employees. Employees need a booking process that provides more availability and allows them to choose from multiple properties and rate options. Advanced technology allows for a dynamic travel policy that adjusts according to available options when booking while complying with company policies.

Corporate travel is a valuable component of professional and personal growth. Employees that travel feel engaged and empowered in the workplace. Staying on top of these business travel trends is important in driving organizational growth.

How can an automated booking system keep up with the travel trends of 2022?

93% of TMCs reduced staff by 25% to ride out the pandemic. As business travel resumes, it is difficult to ramp up operations and support staff fast enough. Business travel clients demand more personalized and responsive service than ever.

Cornerstone’s Travel Automation Platform, which includes iQCX, goes way beyond common tasks like quality control, low fare searches, and preferred seat checks. Now you can automate unique business requirements and the frequent outlier tasks that have been crushing your agents and eating into profit margins.
Data Services – Data services seamlessly enable you to look at all your data, from all your sources, in a single place.

Workflow Automation – Within moments of creation, bookings are put through a rigorous set of customized automation based on your unique business needs, leading to almost 100% automated fulfillment.

Reporting & Analytics – Our technology creates spreadsheets, slides, and visualizations that are designed for sharing across the company.

Cornerstone Information Systems is the technology partner behind the scenes of tens of millions of automated bookings. Our technology helps you configure workflow and services that deliver measurable savings and insights to manage your travel program and operations. For 30 years, Cornerstone has provided the tools and service behind the scenes of millions of automated bookings for the biggest brands in the industry. Contact Cornerstone today to learn more.