BUSINESS TRAVEL IS STILL HIGHLY IMPORTANT

Last week, American Express Global Business Travel presented the 2019 edition of the European Business Travel Barometer, which was conducted on a sample of 1,000 companies from 10 European countries. Tourism Review presents the key figures from the report.

99% of people surveyed affirm that business trips play an essential role in the development of the company. They also clearly demonstrate a rise in the activity with 45.6% of employees in the field (+3.6 pts) to develop the customer portfolio and focus on events that could help develop the business.

+ 3.8% increase in business travel expenses on the European market in 2018. That's 0.4 points higher than the expected value!

Only 23% of the companies surveyed have a travel management department. For the remaining 77%, another department is at the head of this expenses (Finance 28%, Purchasing 24%, HR 15%, other departments 10%).

71% of organizations now measure the satisfaction of business travelers (+15 pts!). It is no longer a simple formality but an element in defining travel policies. They are mainly concerned with the protection of business and personal data; facilitating booking in the event of disruptions; providing security solutions during travel; providing full access to travel content; and improving customer service during business trips.

43% of SMEs use internet platforms to organize their business trips, while TMCs remain the main channel for 53% of large companies. All agree that the agency's model must evolve to satisfy both the travel policy and the traveler's experience.