Friday 2nd March, 2012

The 6th annual AirPlus International Travel Management survey of 1,701 travel managers, across 20 countries has revealed that there are still huge differences in the way companies around the world handle business travel. Many revealed that they simply did not have the resources to manage T&E as effectively as they should, or ought to.

Market research company 2hm interviewed a total of 1,701 travel managers on behalf of Air Plus International at the end of 2011. The survey is the most comprehensive and thus the definitive annual study in the travel management sector. This year’s study documents the current boom in the global business travel market, which has now recovered from the previous recession.

Between reserve and optimism
The study reveals substantial differences in assessments of and approaches to business travel around the globe. In general, managers from the countries affected by the euro crisis take a reserved view of the future development of corporate travel. Other regions show cautious optimism, whereas travel managers in growth markets such as Brazil, South Africa, Singapore and Australia are bursting with confidence.

Limited resources call for professionalism
In its latest study, AirPlus also asked travel managers about their role within the company. The result: resources remain limited. 34% of respondents said they did not have enough time for travel management. That corresponds to only a slight improvement over the previous year, when 37% complained of this problem. Even in companies with a high level of travel expenditure, one in two managers (48%) only spent a quarter of their work hours on managing travel issues; only 15% are in the fortunate position of being able to devote more than three quarters of their office hours to this subject. This figure is all the more surprising in view of the fact that companies in this category spend at least USD 1 million per year on business travel.