What will business travel look like in the new normal?

What Will Business Travel Look Like in The New Normal?

Purists claim face to face meetings are still the only way to build and strengthen, trust and confidence. Aficionados of digital change want more meetings online. They are freeing people of jet-lag, long-winded meetings, hours of sitting in a darkened room or nibbling on stale buffets. The resulting downtime for work means uptime for leisure.

Even before the pandemic, organisations were questioning meetings. Not just because they could have been an email. Limited meeting room spaces were quickly chased by budget cuts on travel and entertainment from previous recessions, when organisations were faced to cut costs and pave the way for efficiency.

This time however, its not just the accountants and budgeting driving change. It’s the health situation. 20-odd months into the pandemic and several variants later, well-being is of great concern as civic duty reminds us to support the already burdened Health Services by doing our part and staying safe.

Just as recoveries increase and new cases are falling, we are reminded about our carbon footprint. Like Crowe UAE, most global organisations have made significant savings in carbon emissions. At Crowe Global, member firms are working hard to do our bit for leaving behind a cleaner and greener environment, for generations to come.

Does that mean, #businesstravel is a thing of a past? I do not believe so. There will always be a market for business travel. Going forward, I may not very often wave the kids off to school and jump into an #emiratesairline chauffeur drive. Like everything in the pandemic, business travel will evolve. Attendees and speakers will demand a significant leisure element.

Instead of flying for back-to-back meetings and presentations, an element of #leisuretime will be demanded. We no longer want to stare at presentation screens. That can be done online. Taking a walk around the city, exploring the countryside or playing a round of golf, will make the “investment” in business travel worth it. The greater social interaction will strengthen relationships.

Airlines too, will need to follow the stellar example of Emirates. Their Business Class is not aimed just at the business traveller. Specialist catering for young children, frothy milkshakes, ultra-wide entertainment screens with privacy dividers and an army of attentive hostesses, cater to luxury family holidays. Imagine being on a trans-Atlantic flight where your child is taken care of so well, you can take a nap, enjoy fine-dining or just catch up on your favourite box sets. Now that makes Business sense.