90% business travel booked online?
By the end of 2003 more than 90% of companies with managed travel programmes will book individual travel online, according to recent research.
A survey, sponsored by PhoCusWright and the US’ National Business Travel Association (NBTA), claims that: “By year’s end, more than nine in 10 companies with managed travel programmes will be using an online booking tool for transient individual travel and, more than four in 10 will be doing so for meetings/group travel.
“Bottom line savings, traveller ease of use and continued budget scrutiny are the driving forces behind this level of market penetration, and are translating into significantly higher levels of adoption over the next two years for both types of travel.”
PhoCusWright claims that one of the biggest motivations to turn to the online tools is the cost saving. It says 70% of companies surveyed “have realized some level of savings by using corporate online booking tools”.
It continues: “Companies continue to measure success of online booking tools primarily in terms of transaction fee (39%) and average ticket price (27%) savings. Process efficiencies are driving the greatest bottom line return with almost one quarter of all companies reporting transaction savings in excess of 20%.”
PhoCusWright said the most important features of an online booking tool for corporate users was access to all fares, more robust hotel booking tools and effective exchanges and refunds.
The survey was based on responses from 206 NBTA members from a cross-section of industries and travel budgets. Of the respondants, 52% said they will be using online booking tools for both corporate travel and meeting reservations, projected to rise to 71% by 2005.
Read our previous stories:
11-June-2003 No-frills shouldn’t shun business travel trade
02-July-2003 Business travel in post-war recovery?
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025