Corporate Travel Trends to Look for in 2022

You’ve probably read about the increase in flight cancellations and delays, the rise in virtual and contactless payments, and other pandemic-related effects on travel that have carried over into 2022. 

We’ve compiled a few more travel trends to look out for this year. Take a look. 

International travel is coming back.  

Because COVID-19 delayed celebrations and events the past two years, celebratory travel has been a driving motivator for travel this year, and people are constantly booking international destinations. According to a poll by Virtuoso, 86% of travelers say they plan on traveling internationally this year.

Travel prices are going up…up…up

Inflation has increased heavily the past couple years, and travel costs are no exception. Yet, according to an article by Sally French, airfares are still lower than pre-pandemic prices, and pricing is usually volatile due to seasonal trends. The biggest price increases have been in car rentals, restaurant fees, and entertainment expenditures. 

Making travel plans ahead of time can minimize the effects of inflation on your budget. Book hotels and flights as soon as you know when and where you’re traveling to so that you can lock in potentially lower prices. 

More travelers are starting to plan ahead.

Requests for travel planners and advisors have increased significantly—specifically, 240%— from 2021 and 2020. “Hotel bookings were up 87% over 2020, and has continued with January 2022 bookings up 119% compared to the same time last year,” Debbi Kickham of Forbes said. “City hotels led the way, with January 2022 bookings soaring 240 percent over January 2021”.

Work from home—forever?

The pandemic made many businesses and employees realize that working from the office isn’t always necessary for getting your job done. Return-to-office plans were delayed by the COVID-19 variants that came up in 2021, according to research from Deloitte. While more employees might go back to in-person work, that research reported that travel managers expect their companies’ future rate of working from home to be 2.5 times higher than before the pandemic.

While fewer employees are traveling for one-day only meetings and instead choosing to meet via video, some meetings are done better in person. 

Travelers are looking to make their own reservations.

Recent research shows that more corporate travelers are choosing to make their own reservations and travel arrangements. Almost 70% of employees book business travel tools not approved by the company, according to recent surveys, because they want to find flights and accommodations that meet their preferences. 

When travelers book on their own, though, they can miss out on the real-person support that comes from partnering with a travel management company, in addition to significant savings and simplified expenses. Travelcor, a provider of corporate travel solutions, offers 24/7 support in case of travel disruptions. 

Travelcor helps businesses keep up with travel trends. 

Travelcor provides solutions that prepare every member of your team for travel, including a comprehensive hotel booking platform, comprehensive auditing and reporting, and travel policy compliance features. Learn more about how we save business travelers time and money on travel and sign-up for free today!