More than three-quarters of business travelers who stayed off the road during the pandemic say they are ready to get back to business travel. A new survey fielded by Morning Consult for the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) reveals that almost two-thirds of this group believes that working remotely adversely affected their productivity and workplace culture.
“The last two years of virtual work arrangements and travel restrictions have underscored the importance of travel and face-to-face meetings for businesses, employees, and customers alike. These results are proof of that,” said AHLA President and CEO Chip Rogers. “Most Americans recognize the unmatched value business travel and face-to-face meetings provide. And after the last two years, the return of business travel is more important than ever.”
The study also revealed that nearly 70% of Americans support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recent decision to ease mask requirements. As a result, many travelers say they are now making plans to travel and more than 40% say they are more willing to travel specifically for business than they were in 2020-2021.
With corporate travel procedures still fluctuating, leisure travel is likely to recover well before business travel. This is unwelcome news for the hotel industry, where business and group travel are the industry’s biggest revenue generators. There is reason to be optimistic, however. According to AHLA’s State of the Industry report, business travel overall will likely improve this year compared to 2021. This is further supported by recent hotel industry analysis from Kalibri Labs, which indicates that by third-quarter 2022, the industry will reach 80% of pre-pandemic numbers. While a complete comeback isn’t anticipated until 2024, worldwide travel for business is expected to improve by 14% in 2022.
Other notable findings from the AHLA study include:
- 80% of employed Americans and 86% of business travelers say face-to-face interactions are important for maximizing company success
- 61% of adults and 74% of business travelers agree that in-person meetings and business travel build organizational strength in a way virtual interactions cannot
- 59% of adults and 77% of business travelers agree that in-person meetings and business travel foster collaboration in a way virtual interactions cannot
- 57% of adults and 76% of business travelers agree that in-person meetings and business travel facilitate productivity in a way virtual interactions cannot
- 56% of adults and 71% of business travelers agree COVID-19 has created a greater need for face-to-face connection that virtual-only meetings cannot satisfy
- 46% of adults and 65% of business travelers say an increased reliance on virtual work negatively impacts workplace culture
- 44% of adults and 64% of business travelers agree that an increased reliance on virtual work negatively impacts productivity
- 86% of employed Americans and 89% of business travelers say face-to-face interactions are important for establishing and maintaining relationships with coworkers
- 85% of employed Americans and 88% of business travelers say face-to-face interactions are important for establishing and maintaining relationships with clients
- 82% of employed Americans and 89% of business travelers say face-to-face interactions are important for professional trainings
- 80% of employed Americans and 83% of business travelers say face-to-face interactions are important for keeping morale high
