Business travel pick-up ahead of ash crisis
Wednesday, 20 May, 2010
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A record level of transactions by business travellers using trains has been revealed by the Guild of Travel Management Companies.
The organisation’s quarterly transaction survey for the three months to the end of March shows “good recovery” in the main sectors of business travel.
Rail continued to show strong growth with a 13% increase against the first quarter last year. The level of the transactions is the highest ever shown by the survey.
Air transactions were up by 9%, hotels up 5% and car hire up 1% – the first rise in more than four years.
GTMC chief executive Anne Godfrey said: “The GTMC quarterly transaction survey has always been a telling gauge of how UK Plc is performing and in normal circumstances the latest figures would be cause for cautious optimism.”
But she said: “The volcanic ash crisis, which shut down UK air space, will undoubtedly negatively affect the second quarter’s air statistics.
“It will be interesting to see how rail and car rental fared, bearing in mind the pivotal role they played in the rescue of many stranded business travellers, as organised by travel management companies who proved without a doubt the value of their services in the crisis.”
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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