Predictions for Post-Covid Business Travel

In the thick of the pandemic, all travel was halted, and local economies were forced to close up businesses for the foreseeable future. While we have since resumed most of our daily procedures, businesses still remain at odds with how to proceed in the post-covid era. Looking forward, one aspect of business that companies hope to resume is corporate travel.

Given the worldwide lockdowns that were enforced, travel was not an option for a long time. This resulted in many individuals getting laid off or taking on virtual responsibilities. Business travel is not back to what it used to be, but corporate leaders are beginning to gain hope for how they can safely resume this venture.

Technology Will Be a Revisited Substitution

While many cities are opening back up for visitors, large-scale conferences are not as common as they once were. Many of these events had to be taken digitally over the past year, presenting both challenges and exciting opportunities. In the future of post-covid business travel, industry leaders predict that technology will be a revisited substitution. The hope is to resume in-person events, but virtual events also remain a feasible solution for individuals who do not feel safe traveling or do not have the budget for it.

Post-covid business travel may allow for hybrid roles, where some choose to travel for events while others join in digitally. Offering virtual options while still doing in-person events will be a great way to welcome people who want the in-person experience while also accommodating people who might want to enjoy the conference's content but can't actually travel for the event.

Implementation of Wellbeing Policies

Companies that have returned to their offices have had to play around with the idea of developing wellbeing policies. For many companies, this has resulted in rearranging office spaces to allow for more social distancing, testing and quarantining requirements based on exposure, policies relating to vaccines, and more. Given that the pandemic is not entirely over, returning employees have had to be educated on the possible health risks of returning to the office. This information is not only beneficial for the employees, but it also is a liability factor for the companies.

These kinds of policies will be implemented even more so for professionals resuming business travel. Employees returning from trips may be required to work remotely for a period of time after their return or present negative test results before returning to the office. Given the higher risk of catching the virus when traveling, especially if not vaccinated, employees may be asked to take precautions such as signing a waiver acknowledging the health risks and agreeing to risk potential exposure or following specific travel guidelines to help avoid contracting any illness.

More Intentional

The pandemic has changed business in many ways, but one of the most significant is the realization of how much work can be accomplished virtually. Companies may soon begin to revisit business travel, as some projects are easier to tackle in-person, but it will have a slow start. Because of this, companies will be more intentional about their reasons for traveling and take time to evaluate whether they can perform some business duties digitally. Companies will have to choose: will this business trip be worth the potential health risks, or can we do the work digitally just as easily? These types of conversations can also help companies determine their budgets for the year and slowly make room in the budget for the return of traveling.

While many business operations have begun to return to normal, business travel is one element that will likely continue to be impacted by the current pandemic.