Global Economy Will Change the Face of Business Travel Next Decade

Changes in the global economy will have the biggest impact on business travelers in the next decade, according to new research out from Barclaycard Business.

The research reveals that long haul air and rail services will see the most growth with business travel to global destinations expected to increase. Distance traveled per month will increase to approximately 700 miles per person, compared to 609 miles currently. In addition business people will on average spend an extra night away from home each month, up from 4.1 nights in 2005/6 to 5.2 nights in 2015.

The tenth anniversary annual Barclaycard Business Travel Survey reveals that whilst distances traveled for business travel are predicted to increase, growth will be seen at a slower rate than the 32% increase seen between 1996/7 and 2005/6.

Meanwhile, individual days away for business will decrease to 2.0 per week in 2015, from 2.4 in 2005. This can largely be out down to the increasing role of technology. The use of video conferencing, for example, is expected to be used by 50 percent of workers by 2015, compared to 26 percent currently.

With long-haul travel increasing, the number of flights taken per business traveler will increase by 12 percent from 7.6 flights per year in 2005 to 8.5 flights in 2015. Low cost air travel is predicted to be near saturation point and will therefore level off, with 74 percent of business travelers expected to use these services in 2015, no change from 2005.

Conversely, the number of business travelers regularly using trains is predicted to decrease from 34 percent in 2005 to 25 percent in 2015. However, there may well be growth opportunities for long distance rail travel providers.