A new global survey has revealed that 43 per cent of business travellers plan to travel less in the future. The findings show that business travellers are less confident than in May when a similar survey was carried out, when 27 per cent predicted travelling less for business purposes. UK business travellers are even less confident, with 50 per cent planning on travelling less.

The survey found that nearly 20 per cent of global consumers think it is safe to travel now, with 21 per cent putting less weight on government restrictions and more on personal risk assessments. The UK, in particular, has shifted away from WHO and governmental guidance, with 23 per cent saying they would be happy to travel to a country that has lifted restrictions despite national travel warnings.
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With the world now conducting most of its business meetings via platforms such as Zoom rather than face-to-face, an interesting finding of the survey was that 53 per cent of business travellers agree they can develop new relationships via teleconferencing.?

The survey also looked at how comfortable people feel on various modes of transport. Half of those surveyed say they are comfortable taking a flight, though only 43 per cent in the UK are comfortable and 37 per cent uncomfortable, and almost 60 per cent are comfortable staying at a hotel (48 per cent in the UK). However, less than a third are comfortable using public transportation or ride sharing.

The poll was carried out by consulting firm Oliver Wyman in September and October and asked 4,600 people across nine countries (Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States), all of whom had flown at least once in 2019, about their attitudes to travel.

Michael Khan, aviation partner at the company, said: ¡°With nearly a quarter shifting away from official guidance and restrictions on travel, it is increasingly important for governments to have clear communication on the risks and for airlines to provide adequate safety measures.
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¡°The new national lockdown and international travel ban are strong measures to stymie the spread of the virus, and they will bring their own set of challenges for the travel industry. They will likely have the effect of increasing the perceived risks of travel and of flying in particular as the pandemic continues to surge across Europe and the world over the short to medium term.¡±
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