Alexandria, USA. Globalization, the growing Millennial workforce, and disruption in suppliers, are new trends that are expected to have significant impact on the business travel industry according to new research out today from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) in partnership with Cvent. The travel buyer role is an increasingly global one and shifts from travel towards procurement, an increasing focus on traveler safety, and technology implementation, have given rise to new challenges for the business travel industry. The new research reveals how buyers are adapting to these changes and the impact they have on organizational travel policies and programs.
“As the industry continues to evolve driven by increasing globalization, changes in data privacy and security laws and supplier disruption and fragmentation, one thing that remains certain is that changes to the travel buyer role will only continue to accelerate,” said Scott Solombrino, GBTA executive director and COO. “The research suggests that buyers may be relying too much on technology to be the change agent versus making strategic choices to act, rather than react, in the face of change.”
“With our industry’s increasing dependence on technology to drive business results, and navigating new security regulations like GDPR, we’re at a tipping point where travel buyers are facing numerous challenges and must rethink fundamental approaches to travel program management,” said Patrick Smith, chief marketing officer at Cvent. “We partnered with GBTA to help shed light on these forces of change, knowing that the results will allow our industry to rise to the challenge of delivering better services to our end customers – the business traveler.”
Methodology: An online survey of 173 North American travel buyers was fielded between April 3 and May 15, 2019. Respondents qualified if they self-identified as a travel or meetings manager/buyer or a procurement/sourcing professional.
Key Research Highlights
A webinar on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 at 8 pm CET will take a deep dive into the research findings and how travel buyers are adapting to today’s shifting landscape. The webinar will explore some of the biggest factors impacting the travel buyer role today, how travel buyers are reacting to these influences, and what strategic choices can be made to prepare your travel program for the future.
To learn more, download an infographic here with key highlights from the research. The report, The Travel Buyer of the Future: What’s on the Horizon for the Ever-Changing Landscape of Travel and Meetings Management, is available exclusively to GBTA members on the GBTA Hub.