Unexpected delays, cancellations, and rerouting have forced 88% of business travellers to make last-minute changes in the past year, says an expert, who urges leaders to change their approach to business travel – or it could be grounded completely.

Considering the importance of travel for networking, collaboration, and employee development, João Carvalho, SAP Concur Managing Director in Southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Greece and Turkey) the Middle East, and Africa, underlines the importance of avoiding the costly effects of disruption.

“Travel disruption stalls productivity and hinders vital meetings, impacting business productivity and employee wellbeing.

Referring to new SAP Concur data, that provides strategies to optimise business travel benefits, he said: “Our data shows nearly half of travellers in the Middle East and North Africa have had to cancel or reschedule meetings, and 40% have incurred unplanned additional days on business trips.”

“Unexpected delays, cancellations, and rerouting have forced 88% of business travellers to make last-minute changes in the past year,” notes Carvalho.

“This situation has become so commonplace and frustrating that almost a third of travellers are now willing to decline trips due to the high likelihood of disruption.”

With this in mind, he says leaders should prioritise flexibility to ensure employees reach their destinations with minimal stress.

“This may involve granting additional travel buffer time for arrivals, departures, or both, arranging private connecting transportation, or incorporating features into travel booking tools that facilitate easy rebooking in case of impediments.”

Business travel, once a cornerstone of corporate strategy, is facing challenges, with this summer's surge in tourism being the latest hurdle.

As major tourist events draw millions of visitors, even up until year-end, business travellers and managers grapple with overbooked flights, hotels, and transportation, leading to expensive hold-ups and lost productivity.

Carvalho points out that utilising Artificial intelligence (AI) can also improve business travel efficiency.

“Currently, travel managers report administrative disconnects with their travel management tools. For example, over a third of managers indicate they are expected to support traveller duty of care without visibility into all travel taking place.”

To address these challenges, highlights that two-thirds of managers would welcome the incorporation of AI-enabled components into their tools. Similarly, 98% of travellers are open to using AI-enabled options to book travel.

“Business leaders can also leverage AI solutions to streamline workflows such as expense reporting or generate cancellation and rebooking recommendations, thereby minimising disruption. However, caution is advised, as with any significant business transformation.

“Premature AI implementation can hinder progress rather than accelerate it.”

“Our data indicates that 95% of business travellers require company support to feel comfortable using AI for booking,” says Carvalho.

“Additionally, for roughly a third of travel managers, the expectation to utilise AI-powered tools without proper training is already impacting their ability to perform their jobs effectively.”

To ensure successful AI implementation, he explains that leaders should provide comprehensive training for AI systems and integrate assurances into company policies to address common AI concerns, such as data protection and bias risks.

When it comes to the future of travel, Carvalho emphasises that the modern business landscape is characterised by a more geographically dispersed yet better-connected workforce.

“While virtual meetings are becoming increasingly commonplace, face-to-face interactions remain invaluable for some business relationships. Therefore, streamlined business travel is still a top priority for many organisations.”

“Eliminating travel disruptions may not be possible in the short term, but leaders can take steps to make them more manageable for their employees.

“By implementing measures to enhance travel flexibility, providing training opportunities, and leveraging next-generation software solutions, businesses can adapt to a challenging market and ensure their travel programmes remain effective in the long run.” – TradeArabia News Service