How Is Technology Shaping The World of The Business Traveller?
The world is now smaller than ever – this has been aided by travel becoming more accessible in price, place and frequency. However, the advancement of technology has also allowed for the like of video conferencing becoming more commonplace. This reduces the necessity for professionals to travel.
The increased accessibility yet decreased necessity has made way for an interesting relationship to be formed. How is technology shaping business travel?
UK business travellers made 22.87 million trips in 2015. Business trips are forecast to remain flat at 22.84 trips in 2020 – a drop of just 30,000 trips. The normalisation of video conferencing in businesses will drive this shift, however the market value of business travel is to rise by 2% by 2020 due to an increase in oil prices.
Although the introduction of video conferencing has decreased the frequency of trips needed in order to build relationships, there is still a need for face-to-face contact in regards to closing business deals for example.
With the rise in professionals using mobile devices to work out with their regular office space, wireless charging is becoming a prominent need. 44% of business travellers have problems with their batteries running out, and 39% have trouble finding charging points when travelling. It is expected that by 2020, a wide range of sophisticated wireless charging devices will be available on the market. In the meantime, portable charging ports are an essential item for the frequent business traveller.
The widespread implementation of wifi on planes and trains have made working away from the desk easier than ever before. Many business travels also cite travel update apps as essential – for example, being able to check train times in real-time. But what is expected in the near future?
Many business travellers believe that company-specific cloud technology will become a travel essential. This allows receipts, other expenses and documents to be accessed and saved without the need for a drive.
The need for cross-brand compatibility is also expected to become more prominent. Apps and tech products will need to ensure that they are able to integrate to meet consumer demand.
50% of business travellers are now under the age of 35 – and 58% of travellers want time for leisure activities when on a business trip. To cater for this market, the development of mobile platforms that allow the incorporation of work and leisure management are expected to become common by 2020.
Overall, the market for business travel will stay relatively stagnant over the next 4 years. However, our virtual PAs managing travel for a business feedback that there the need for more sophisticated solutions to enable business travellers to work whilst on the move.