When leisure intentions took a backseat amid the pandemic concerns, the ambitious corporate goals have kept the hopes alive. The resumption of domestic business travels to close deals continue to take the edge off the COVID-19 repercussions battering down the travel providers.
Despite the higher proportion of vacationers, business travellers have become crucial for the airlines that receive a wider profit margin with the last moment bookings from business customers. However, much to the travel sector’s dismay, many are predicting that business travel might take a long-lasting nosedive as meetings would be pivoted to laptop screens.
Source: Copyright © 2021 Kalkine Media Pty Ltd
Some are even anticipating that the pandemic’s long-term nature has caused a tech-pro mutation in human behaviour.
INTERESTING WATCH: What did Bill Gates say on future of air business travel?
In this backdrop, let us understand why business travel can grow despite technological alternative as the current signs indicate that the pandemic might be the reformative period for the travel industry.
What can go wrong with convenient looking online options?
When we talk about things going wrong, it is not just software failures or internet connectivity glitches that concerns us. We are instead more focused on the inherent quality of the remote work scenario.
Many believe that the pandemic was able to unearth the real productivity of online working, implying that business travels might only occur for essential deals and not for some routine catch-up with clients!
But is it a case? Often, what comes easy does not last long. Undoubtedly, the technology will stay and boom, but the same cannot be said about the new normal. Significantly, the absence of face-to-face meetings and interpersonal interactions have caused many businesses an arm and a leg as they lost their valuable clients.
Who wins: interactions or distant conversation?
When given a choice, we have the affinity to adopt convenience over struggles and cost savings over unnecessary extravagance. It brings us to the main question: ‘With the solutions already present in the pre-pandemic era, what has then stopped the shrewd businesses for so many years from using online approach and save their time, money and energy often associated with taking travel routes?’
Howsoever alien it may sound, business clients are not won just over some board presentations. The human brain is wired to be cynical about the unknown and form trust with the gradual psychological connect process. Thus, it seems like business travel resources don’t go in vain as from a firm handshake to dinner tables, all together serves towards guarding the long-term survival of business relationships.
A lesson from past events!
Indeed no one knows if there be a permanent shift towards remote work or online meetings in the future. But if history has taught us well, revolutions have always emerged from the cusp of deterioration. Had it not been the case, life would have never emerged from something so destructive as the Big Bang, or Japan would have been nowhere in the list of major economies after WWII.
Source: Copyright © 2021 Kalkine Media Pty Ltd
Even in the case of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Australian economic recovery not just proved robust against the pessimistic views but excelled beyond expectations. From a historical viewpoint, it appears that it is just a matter of time when we see business travel alive and kicking.
Positive signs already starting to appear?
Since the pandemic onset, companies have embraced remote-working norms, bringing business travel almost to a halt. However, as restrictions are relatively relaxed, many organisations are ready to shift to a conventional work style.
A potential rebound in corporate travel is expected to occur when travel restrictions are lifted. The success of coronavirus vaccine rollout could play a highly decisive role in increasing the pace of recovery.
However, as far as technology and travel are concerned, they are more likely positioned to act like allies than competitors, with innovative tech-based solutions being incorporated to improve travel services as the industry seems to transition in its current reformative period.
Source: Kalkine Media
.jpg){kind=tracking}