Zoom not enough: report
NEW data released by Collinson has found that 81% of business travellers have had their jobs negatively impacted by a lack of cross border travel, despite a rise in video conferencing.
The report exposed a number of ways businesses are still suffering as a result of the travel shutdown, with a third of respondents stating that not being able to see their clients face-to-face had adversely changed the way they conduct business.
One in three businesses also said travel restrictions had fundamentally made their company less productive, while 28% conceded they were no longer able to do their jobs efficiently as a result.
In Australia, the survey found that close to three quarters of Aussie business travellers find the prospect of corporate travel during COVID-19 more stressful than before the health crisis struck, which is up from the 54% in 2019 who told Collinson that travel had been more stressful than the previous five years.
Quarantine topped the list of reasons why travelling to meet clients in person was driving anxiety in the last 12 months, with Australia second only to Singapore when it came to not wanting to risk being caught up in mandatory isolation.
Close to two thirds of Aussie businesspeople admitted to being negatively affected by a lack of person-to-person meetings, while 20% noted not being able to see their colleagues overseas had adversely changed the way they do business.
The report also showed that Australians are seeking seamless, contactless experiences at places like airports and hotels as a reason to reboot their corporate travel programs.
Smooth check-ins ranked highly with 43%, while quick security queues (45%) and automated airport experience (35%) also polled strongly.
Nearly 30% of Aussies stated they would pay for airport lounge access on business trips, believing it to be an important component to driving down stress, while a third noted they would pay for extra leg room in the air and 38% would be happy to pay for an extra seat next to them as added assurance against COVID.