It is now obvious to say, but the business travel was one of the markets most affected by the pandemic. Today it continues to be one of the sectors most under the magnifying glass both to measure the recovery numbers and to analyze the influence of new habits, such as online conferences and sustainability, on corporate travel choices. One of the business travel trends in 2023, definitely a result of the pandemic crisis, will still be the attention to the safety of employees on the move. The war in the heart of Europe has only increased collective sensitivity towards this value, declining the theme of security also in an evaluation key of the geopolitical balance of the destination country.
Travel safety when traveling in 2023
The International SOS has released the Risk Outlook 2023 which lists the trends in safety and travel for this year. As already mentioned, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has suddenly raised the bar for companies to pay attention to the safety of their traveling employees. The war in Europe has triggered a series of tensions that also have repercussions in other hot spots in the world. The scenario is therefore characterized by extreme volatility which forces companies dealing with business trips to deal with a state of "permanent crisis" . In fact, today the analyzes to identify possible risks for the business and for its employees abroad must be continuous. travel security management teams dealing with risk management will be the big protagonists of 2023.
Safety and health of traveling employees
Also in the International SOS study, only 25% of those interviewed declared that their company is actively planning strategies to avoid being caught by surprise by future pandemics and variants of Covid-19. Best actions include risk assessments of existing and potential health threats, but also forecasts of the potential geographic extent of health threats. The risk outlook report, however, highlighted that the majority of companies interviewed, 86%, are maintaining the budget dedicated to travel risk management and in fact in several cases it has even grown. The volume of international travel has grown to 83% of the traffic in the pre-Covid period. The aspect that should not be underestimated is that travellers, including business travellers, today are more aware of the risks and have more needs in terms of safety. Another element that proves to be increasingly less predictable and more risky are cataclysmic meteorological phenomena and the use of a "self-service" culture even in airport services (as online check-in already demonstrates). According to the same study promoted by SITA, sustainability will also become a central theme by 2030. From this perspective, the commitment of airlines in renewing their fleet or choosing eco-sustainable fuels is not enough. The choices of travellers, companies and business travelers will also represent a substantial part of the change. In reality, already today various companies and digital channels for booking flights allow you to choose a less polluting flight. For example, Alma Travel presents itself as a virtuous partner which, in addition to the trip expense report, offers a detailed overview of CO2 emissions based on the choice of means of transport chosen by the client company.
Digital tools available to companies
A decisive aid to transform what has been said so far into reality and operation are obviously the digital tools available to companies. Being able to receive real-time updates and communicate promptly with employees around the world is a necessity, or rather a priority. Being able to reschedule any routes on the fly, change bookings or request necessary information while receiving immediate responses is a fundamental asset for managing risks and planning risk management strategies. Alma Travel obviously provides its partners with online booking and overall and detailed expense management tools that are essential for understanding employee travel habits and making more virtuous or responsible choices . Starting from a collection of reports means having an important database of information available to be able to manage even moments of tension. Furthermore, by virtue of our decades of experience, our consultants are able to deal with the drafting of travel policies and risk management procedures.