To be free again

Barriers to business travel are coming down – and about time too. The Red List has shrunk to nothing, testing requirements have been simplified and the resumption of transatlantic travel is finally happening. Yeeha! Airlines are ramping up their schedules, TMCS are rehiring and we've even seen a few new ones launch since our last issue. Couple that with all the industry conferences, awards, meetings and dinners that have been coming thick and fast (you'll find the highlights in this issue) and it feels like we're finally coming out the other side.

But, thankfully, all corners of the industry appear to be in agreement that we don't want things to go entirely back to the way things were. This is our chance to do things better and strong themes are emerging: making travel count, preserving work/life balance, duty of care and protecting traveller wellbeing. As international travel comes back, all of these will be front of mind, as we explore in our air travel feature on pages 12-17.

We all heard the pledges of our political and business leaders who gathered in Glasgow for COP26. Our industry, like many others, knows it must tackle sustainability head on. With this in mind, we're stepping up a gear with our sustainability coverage, starting in this issue with expert opinions on pages 8 and 9, practical advice on page 10, and with a sustainability news special on pages 28-29.

As we approach the end of what has been another challenging year, I hope you share my optimism for 2022. We're starting from near zero and that brings exciting opportunities. We can enjoy our new freedoms but we won't be taking anything for granted - I'm writing this on day seven of a thankfully mild dose of Covid, so I know.