Strict quarantine measures caused by the coronavirus pandemic are gradually being lifted. This means that in the coming months many industries will start working again, including business tourism. Let’s talk about exactly what business trips will look like in the new reality.
How coronavirus has affected business travel
Over the past few months, the travel industry, like the MICE industry, has essentially gone on pause. International air traffic was interrupted, and travel within the country also became very difficult – in many regions and large cities, all arrivals had to comply with mandatory quarantine. Some airlines have suspended flights even within the country.
Now the industry is gradually starting to revive thanks to the lifting of quarantine measures. However, the large-scale crisis caused by them will not end so quickly. For example, it will lead to a lot of changes in business tourism. Here are the main ones.
There will be more trips around the country
In recent years, the number of foreign business trips and expenses on them have been growing. In the near future, most likely, the situation will be different. International air traffic will not be restored immediately. The restrictions will be lifted gradually, and on some routes the airlines themselves may leave them in place to ensure the safety of passengers.
In addition, foreign travel itself is more expensive. And, since the crisis has affected many industries, not all companies will be able to afford foreign business trips. When domestic flights are restored and quarantine measures are lifted, we expect an increase in the number of business trips around Russia. Companies will actively solve problems that have accumulated during downtime. You can follow up-to-date information on restrictive measures in the regions and their lifting here.
MICE will recover a little slower
Despite the easing of the quarantine regime, bans on mass events will most likely remain in effect for a long time. This means that many major conferences will be postponed. Organizers They are being postponed to 2021 due to partially remaining restrictions.
Thus, large events will return no earlier than in a few months, and before that small meetups, mini-conferences and forums will develop.
Pricing changes
The unstable exchange rate of the ruble, the need for airlines and hotels to cover losses due to the forced cessation of operations, and the fall in revenue of customer companies will lead to the fact that savings will become a particularly pressing topic in the b2b travel market.
In the new conditions, the opportunity to receive a high level of service and optimize costs will become especially relevant for customers. It is easier to offer such conditions to players with a b2c background, such as OneTwoTrip for Business. Such companies already have established relationships with suppliers and have access to a large number of accommodation and flight options.
Conclusion
Coronavirus had a serious impact on the travel industry, many organizations went bankrupt and were forced to leave the market, the crisis led to a decrease in the income of customer companies. This, as well as the continuation of some quarantine measures, may slow down the recovery.
But after a long break, businesses will need to solve the backlog of tasks, and people, after several months in isolation, will want to travel. This will give a new start, including to the trend of bleisure trips.
