The Advantage Travel Partnership, Britain’s largest consortium of independent travel agents, has revealed the recent business travel booking trends its members are seeing as travel continues to recover. 

Advantage members generate over £3bn in business travel spend and 35 members feature in the UK’s top 50 Travel Management Companies (TMC). Its members have reported an increase in new business activity compared to 2019, as companies look for more support to navigate through the complexity of travelling, as well as guidance around traveller wellbeing and sustainability.

While the bounce-back of business travel has not been as strong as leisure, many members are saying it has been stronger than expected. In some sectors, it is already reaching the same levels as in 2019. In addition, the gradual easing of travel restrictions for Far East destinations is another boost for the business travel sector.

Partnership members are seeing positive trends and increased business from corporate clients who have reviewed their travel management company, either during or because of the pandemic, and are switching to a new TMC partner. Businesses feel they need more support following the assistance required during the travel disruption as well as guidance around traveller wellbeing, sustainability and more.

Business travel trends are also revealing a number of companies with previously ‘unmanaged’ travel no longer feel comfortable taking care of this themselves and want help from a professional TMC.

Members of the Partnership are also seeing more companies contacting them as businesses bring teams back together, in the new homeworking/hybrid environment.  Many Travel Managers are spending more time co-ordinating meetings and mini events, bringing travellers into headquarters and dealing with the challenges of hotels, meeting space and ground transportation arrangements.

But members also reported there is still some wariness about 2023 and beyond. It is not yet clear how much of the current business travel surge can be attributed to pent-up demand after three years with limited international travel. The rising costs and inflation might result in corporate belt-tightening. Another factor which business travel agents are contending with is the continuing impact of travel disruption and reduced airline capacity, that has made headlines all summer. 

Guy Snelgar, Global Business Travel Director, The Advantage Travel Partnership, who joined the company earlier this year, said:  

“While the bounce-back of business travel has not been as strong as leisure, there are some really positive trends to take from the first three-quarters of 2022.

"The complexity of the travel landscape both during and in the aftermath of the pandemic has proven the value of the TMC and demonstrated to companies that managed travel is a wise investment to ensure not only the best prices, but also a robust level of support and hassle-free business travel, so companies can refocus on building relationships in person.

“The new hybrid world of work will present some challenges when it comes to traditional business travel, but we have seen that there is a demand to ensure teams are meeting face-to-face again and that the desire for company interaction is still there, all of which can be easily facilitated by business travel.

“Understandably, there’s still a large degree of wariness about what 2023 holds, given the worldwide economic situation and the trend for more sustainable travel. I don't think we are out of the woods yet in terms of dealing with the aftermath of the last few years, but the trends do seem positive for the first three-quarters of 2022 and provide a good base for a clearer picture 2023.”