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Business travel bookings up despite recession
Business travel in the UK increased in the first quarter of this year, despite the economy sliding back into recession.
Guild of Travel Management Companies (GTMC) said transactions from January to March were up 6% year on year, which was the strongest performance for 12 months.
Flight transactions remain flat, although sales and average values were both up year on year.
The growth in hotel bookings slowed to just 3%, but rail bookings were 14% ahead of last year.
Car hire bookings were up 10% and sales of other services, including ferries, visas and currency exchange, were also up 10%.
Chief executive Anne Godfrey said: "These first quarter figures are solid if unspectacular. However, they contrast with trends in leisure travel and recent GDP data which hints at a double-dip recession. Is business travel bucking the trend."
By Linsey McNeill
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Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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