Keeping down costs will be the most important factor influencing corporate travel buyers in 2013, according to a new study by Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT).
In its Travel Management Priorities report, released today (25 January 2013), CWT found that travel buyers intend to focus on cutting costs this year, rather than improving the traveller experience. This was found to be true regardless of the size of the company, the industry type, the budget spent on travel or the scope of the travel programme.
“The challenging economic climate means that there is continued pressure on buyers to both reduce costs and manage travel in a more cost-effective way,” commented Christophe Renard, CWT’s vice president of marketing, communications and business intelligence. “As air and ground travel represents the majority of spend within a travel programme, it is not surprising that it is the number one priority for most travel buyers, even though it is an area that is already well advanced in terms of optimisation.”
While the priorities remain the same across the world, the measures corporates are taking to reduce costs vary from region to region. North American travel buyers were found to be planning to consolidate their programmes and standardise processes, while their counterparts in Asia Pacific are intending to focus more on improving compliance and mandating preferred booking channels. Latin American travel buyers are concentrating on implementing advanced booking rules, while those from Europe, the Middle East and Africa are tightening air and rail policies to drive down air and ground costs. Travel buyers with global responsibility are planning to tackle traveller compliance with new technology, according to CWT.
CWT also predicted that global inflation will hit travel prices fairly modestly, with hotel rate and airfare increases of less than 5%. It added however, that travel managers will need to pay particular attention to areas such as rising ancillary fees and fuel surcharges.
The CWT Travel Management Priorities report surveyed nearly 800 travel managers across the world.
