Increased travel spending in Canada
Canadian companies will increase travel spending by a solid 4.2% next year. Other trends:
ü A greater emphasis on green programs.
ü A stronger interest in the video options.
So says the 2008 Business Travel Outlook white paper, representing an alliance between the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) and the Conference Board of Canada.
“The 2008 Business Travel Outlook is a wealth of statistics and a guide to several key trends for the Canadian business travel industry,” said Susan Gurley, ACTE’s Executive Director.
The top three reasons cited for higher travel spending were:
- A greater number of international trips to destinations other than the United States.
- Rising travel prices.
- Growth in domestic travel.
“Based on survey responses from 43 major Canadian companies, the report predicted travel managers will face tougher negotiations in 2008 over higher hotel rooms, and to a lesser extent, rental car rates,” the report found.
Corporate airfares for domestic travel and trans-border travel to the US are each expected to edge up by an average of 1.2% over 2007.
International airfares are expected to climb slightly higher (1.6%).
The survey also revealed the growing influence of corporate social responsibility and environmental issues in shaping corporate travel policies. Nearly all the companies interviewed for the report said their organization had embraced corporate social responsibility as a corporate goal.
“This is a remarkable increase from a similar survey conducted two years ago. CSR has been a key ACTE initiative since 2005,” says the report.
Report by David Wilkening
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