The verdict is in. We’ve spoken to our well-travelled clients and team, and these are the trends that will have everyone talking in 2020…
Super-apps
Travel apps are expanding to make business travellers’ lives easier – and it’s about time. We expect to see a huge uptake for multi-tasking apps which allow travellers to book, choose a seat, create an itinerary, manage expenses, receive alerts, notifications and more…without having to toggle between multiple apps and screens.
A travel agent, PA and tour guide in your pocket, Gold Mobile is our solution for busy corporate travellers to consolidate their travel bookings in one place and receive information on the go. With multiple suppliers, delays, and gate changes occurring frequently, it’s vital that travellers have access to manage all these variables simply, and efficiently.
Powered by TripCase, Gold Mobile lets you manage your itinerary, book flights and hotels, check-in online, manage seat requests, schedule meetings, get destination information and receive alerts – in real time, all the time. Gold Mobile keeps you informed, updated, and empowered to manage your travel from any mobile device.
Marketing to Millennials and Generation Z
By 2020, Millennials will make up more than half of the global workforce. The habits and hi-tech demands of Generation Z are driving change in business travel trends, especially when it comes to artificial intelligence, virtual reality and self-service. We expect to see widespread use of facial recognition technology, fingerprint and retinal scanning to speed up customs and immigration processing in 2020…and beyond.
Boutique accommodation and Airbnb
The new breed of business traveller is looking beyond traditional hotel CBD chains and choosing self-catering apartments, cosy homes on Airbnb and boutique hotels in lifestyle-friendly locations. Weary world travellers are looking for more authentic, immersive experiences in different destinations rather than the homogenous décor of some multi-national hotels in a bid to create more of a ‘home away from home’ whilst working away.
Corporate travel policies – dinosaurs or DIY?
Companies with rigid, outdated corporate travel policies are being increasingly challenged by employees ‘going rogue’ and self-booking – and managing their own travel bookings using online booking tools. To counter this, employers need to revise their policies and take a flexible approach to the changing demands of corporate travellers – from boutique accommodation to self-booking or choosing to use Uber over traditional taxis or car hire. Flexible policies which give travellers autonomy and acknowledge their individual needs, likes and dislikes empower employees, while rigid old-fashioned policies will increasingly send them packing.
Diverse destinations
Countries such as India and Indonesia are welcoming record numbers of business travellers, with India tipped to become one of the world’s top five business travel markets by 2022. In the meantime, China will continue to draw huge business crowds, while in Europe, northern nations such as Sweden and Norway are becoming increasingly popular as alternatives to traditional western European nations. The countries currently enjoying the highest business travel spend are: China, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK.
