Business Travel Recovering in Some Markets Faster Than Others
Photo Caption: An image illustrating post-pandemic business trips. By Bram Naaus. Source: Unsplash. Bram Naaus
Skift Take
Everyone wants to know when business travel spending will recover to pre-pandemic levels. Signs are it'll be 2026, though some markets may recover faster, such as India, Britain, the U.S., and Australia.
The latest signals suggest that business travelers are getting back on the road in significant numbers, although a full recovery keeps getting postponed.
“We are now experiencing a major uplift since February 2023,” said Tass Messinis, a strategic advisor at Australia-based travel platform Locomote.
Messinis said that as economies recover, businesses will feel more confident investing in travel spending for meetings, conferences, and events.
“As companies reassess their business travel requirements post-pandemic, we are seeing a resurgence in 'DIY' corporate travel departments in the U.S. and Australia,” Messinis said. “Driven by new emerging technology players, corporations [can now] negotiate better rates directly with airlines, hotels, and other travel providers, resulting in greater cost savings, increased efficiency, compliance, and traveler safety.”
While travel spending globally is gradually returning to pre-pandemic levels, markets such as India are already experiencing a significant restoration.
Gaurav Sundaram, president of India-based ProKonsul Consulting, said that the overall flight data for India reported in terms of passenger numbers in 2023 has already
