Travel policies in the U.S. and Canada by and large are becoming neither less strict nor less lengthy, according to survey of 168 corporate travel managers in the two countries published by the Global Business Travel Association.
The survey, conducted from Nov. 19 through Dec. 10 in partnership with Altour, showed that while the majority of travel managers, 63 percent of total respondents, said their travel policies have remained the same in terms of strictness over the past three years, about a third said their policies have become stricter over that period. Only 5 percent said they had made policies more lenient over the last three years.
Fewer buyers say their policies have changed in length, with 68 percent of buyers saying their policy is the same length today as it was three years ago. Fourteen percent of respondents said their policy has gotten shorter over that period, while 12 percent said it has gotten longer.
A slight majority said their policies are currently at least 11 pages, while about one in five said they maintain a policy of no more than five pages.
Travel managers pointed to travelers not reading or not being familiar with policies as the top reason for noncompliance, with 38 percent of respondents naming it as a top-two reason out of seven possible choices. Other top reasons for noncompliance include employees not planning ahead or employees knowing they wouldn't face consequences, named as a top-two reason by 31 percent and 30 percent of respondents, respectively.
Off-channel booking was the top form of noncompliance in the survey, named as a top-two reason out of eight possible choices by 35 percent of respondents. That was followed by staying at out-of-policy hotels and not booking preferred suppliers, named as a top two reason by 28 percent and 25 percent of respondents, respectively.
Just over 40 percent of respondents said they mandated and strictly enforced bookings through preferred channels, saying trips typically are not approved and possibly not reimbursed if they are not, while 46 percent said that while they mandated bookings through preferred channels, trips are typically approved and reimbursed even when they are not.
The survey also indicated that most policies do not address guest travelers or travelers with special needs.
For guests and non-employees, 56 percent said they use their regular policy to manage their travel, and 26 percent said it is not addressed in their policy, and they handle guest travel on a case-by-case basis. Thirteen percent said they maintain separate policies for guest travel.
In terms of travelers with disabilities, nearly 70 percent of respondents said their policies don't explicitly address their needs at all or do so only slightly, while only 13 percent said they address their needs strongly or very strongly. Similarly, only 19 percent of respondents said they have clear or very clear documentation on traveler inclusion, such as specific concerts of women or LGBTQ+ employees.