Leisure Travel Rebounds Again, Business Travel Lags

Leisure travel is rebounding quickly once again, but business travel isn't coming back in the same way.

Research from Morning Consult, which surveyed 11,000 travelers from the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, revealed that consumers are looking to travel this spring, many plan on flying and that they are very interested in pricing and flexibility.

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Forty-one percent of consumers with travel plans in the next three months expect to fly, and 49 percent expect to stay at a chain hotel.

Price is a top consideration, and the research found that consumers are willing to pay a premium for flexibility. The ability to cancel for free was at the top of the list of things travelers would pay a premium for. Travelers are also willing to pay more to companies that have enhanced pandemic safety measures.

Morning Consult pointed out that brands should keep an eye on where customers stand on safety measures. These protocols were a top priority for travelers booking transportation. However, the number has leveled off as the pandemic begins to wane.

The research on the future of business travel worldwide was not as rosy. Morning Consult found that, contrary to predictions that business travel would return, albeit slower than leisure, the expectations of business travelers globally have largely remained unchanged since the fall.

Of concern for those that rely on business travel is that this trend may stick around. According to Morning Consult's data, the number of pre-pandemic business travelers who say they will never take a business trip again has grown in multiple markets, suggesting that the extended downturn in becoming ingrained in permanent behavior.

One of the ways to tackle this issue is to blend leisure and business travel. Morning Consult suggested that encouraging travelers, many of whom now have more flexible work schedules, with Wi-Fi access and tech-forward amenities such as well as fitness centers and laundry could draw bleisure travelers.