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- Survey: travel managers are lifting restrictions more quickly in Europe than in NorthNearly twice as many European travel managers than their North American counterparts have allowed business travel to resume, according to a Uniglobe Travel survey conducted last month. About 61 percent of European respondents said their firms either are traveling already or expect to within the next three months, compared with only 32 percent of North American respondents. Uniglobe between June 15 and June 25 surveyed 263 travel managers or those with decision-making authority or impact on their organization’s travel program. Nearly 96 percent of the respondents were Uniglobe Travel clients, with the rest prospective clients. About 84 percent of the respondents said they are responsible for 100 or fewer travelers, with 10 percent responsible for 100 to 500 travelers. About 42 percent of the survey respondents were based in Europe, 31 percent in North America, 15 percent in the Indian subcontinent, 8 percent in Asia, 3 percent in Africa with the remainder in the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, South and Central America and the Caribbean. More travel manager respondents in Europe, at 56 percent, already had updated their travel policies than their counterparts in North America, at 41 percent. Among all respondents, 48 percent have updated their travel policies to reflect the Covid-19 travel environment, while 21 percent said they have not, but are considering or planning to do so, according to the survey. Regional Virus Response Drives Corporate Travel Resumption North American companies were less sure-footed about their travel future, with 51 percent of this cohort saying they don’t know or it’s too early to say when their employees will start traveling. That compared with 27 percent of European respondents who were equally unsure. The variation in return-to-travel plans between Europe and North America comes as local governments in both regions continue to manage virus spread and adjust travel restrictions accordingly. With Covid-19 case counts steadily down in many European countries, European Commission asked for coordinated border openings across the Schengen region as of June 15. Though some countries still have specific restrictions, including 14-day quarantines, the free-travel zone is moving toward a larger reopening. As of July 1, the EU opened borders to 15 non-EU countries, though each EU member may choose which countries among the 15 to admit. The United Kingdom implemented a 14-day quarantine on all international arrivals on June 8, but it has now has eliminated its self-quarantine requirement for countries deemed low-risk for coronavirus and is on track to admit travelers from 59 non-EU countries by July 10. The United States, however, has not made the cut on either the EU list or the UK list. Indeed, with case counts rising in the U.S., some state borders have imposed restrictions on travelers. Earlier in the pandemic, Florida, Rhode Island and Texas initiated 14-day self-quarantine for anyone traveling from New York, New Jersey or Connecticut and other hotspots in Michigan and Louisiana. Some of those restrictions have expired. On June 24, however, as cases began to spike in in the Southern and Western U.S., New York, Connecticut and New Jersey mandated a 14-day quarantine for travelers arriving from eight states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. As of June 29, the Tri-State area expanded restrictions to include eight more states that have seen a rising number of cases: California, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada and Tennessee. Policy Particulars Among respondents who have changed or are planning to change their policy, 64 percent said they will limit or ban travel for internal company meetings. About 54 percent have limited participation at conference and meetings based on attendee numbers or place of origin, while 44 percent have added a trip-approval process. Also among this group, 53 percent have banned or are considering banning home-share accommodations like Airbnb, while 43 percent have done so for serviced apartments, and one-third include stays with family or friends on the banned or would-be banned list. Only 12 percent have banned or are considering banning hotels. About 43 percent and 42 percent have not made changes to their policy regarding hotels and stays with family and friends, respectively. Fewer than 10 percent of respondents intend to introduce or change insurance policies, 8 percent intend to require travelers to have a vaccine when it becomes available or take antibody tests, and 6 percent intend to require travelers to use a traveler-tracking app. Vaccine Is Key, but Travel Unlikely to Return to Pre-Covid Levels The Uniglobe survey showed virtual meetings becoming part of the fabric of corporate life, replacing at least some travel. While 12 percent of respondents expected no migration of travel to virtual meetings, about 30 percent of respondents said they expect up to 25 percent of their travel to move to virtual meetings even if a vaccine is broadly available by March. Nearly 26 percent of respondents expected between 25 and 50 percent of travel will move to virtual meetings. About 11 percent expect more than 50 percent of travel volume to be replaced by virtual meetings. Should a vaccine become broadly available by March, 35 percent of survey respondents expected corporate travel volumes to increase for the following 12 months but predicted growth ultimately would plateau beneath pre-Covid levels. In contrast, 28 percent expected travel volumes to equal pre-Covid levels. America
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