Hilton CEO: Business Travel Demand Will Eclipse 2019 Levels in 3 Years
Photo Credit: Hilton Hotels CEO Chris Nassetta in discussion with Skift Founder Rafat Ali at Skift Global Forum in New York City on Sept. 22, 2021. Skift / Matt Matieiscu
Skift Take
Don't discount the return of business travel demand, but Hilton has an advantage in having a bulk of its business transient traffic coming from smaller companies. Those relying on major corporate traffic to fill hotel rooms shouldn't get too excited quite yet.
The reports of business travel’s death are greatly exaggerated, at least in the eyes of Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta.
Nassetta closed out the second day of Skift Global Forum Wednesday not only with optimism surrounding the recovery of business travel demand during a freewheeling interview with Skift founder Rafat Ali. Nassetta went a step further by saying business travel demand would eclipse 2019 levels in a matter of three years.
The optimistic forecast went directly against the more dire outlook on business travel delivered by other forum speakers like Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky.
“My fundamental optimism, which I think is well-founded on data, is pretty much what it was [prior to the Delta variant outbreak],” Nassetta said before adding with a laugh on the naysayers: “They have a
