Almost three-quarters of U.S. travel managers anticipate
more business trips under their watches next year, according to an AirPlus
survey. Only one-quarter said the same thing a year earlier.
Sixty percent of India-based travel managers anticipate increased
business travel, owing to a booming economy there and rising exports. The U.K.
followed with 50 percent of travel managers expecting increased business
travel. The AirPlus survey polled 983 travel managers from 24 countries between
August and October.
Only 33 percent of travel managers worldwide expect more
travel next year, up slightly year over year from 31 percent. More than half of
travel managers, 54 percent, expect the number of 2017 business trips to remain
the same as in 2016. "While other countries do not expect major growth,
neither do they expect a decline, or only a slight one," according to
AirPlus.
AirPlus also surveyed 2,270 business travelers. One third
anticipate taking more trips in 2017 than in 2016, and 53 percent anticipate
taking the same number.
What About Brexit?
There is still much speculation about what Brexit will actually
mean for the U.K. economy and business travel. Half of U.K. travel managers expect
a positive effect on business travel and an increase in travel frequency.
Nearly 60 percent expect travel costs to rise. "Since the low exchange
rate of the pound makes exports cheaper, business acquisition abroad is also
becoming more attractive," according to the AirPlus report.
U.K. business travelers, however, aren't as
optimistic; only 19 percent believe Brexit will have a positive effect. "They
obviously expect budget cuts because the cheap pound is making business travel
much more costly for British companies," AirPlus reported.