Kata_kenya – Page 101 – Kenya Association of Travel Agents

24 global hotel brands eye Kenya as Covid-19 subsides

Twenty-four global hotel brands are considering opening new facilities in Kenya this year, as the industry recovers from the effects of the Covid-19 crisis, a new report shows.

The new hotels will bring to the market 3,155 new hotel rooms, according to the survey by hospitality advisory firm W Hospitality Group, making Kenya the top seven hotspot for new luxury hotels in the African continent.

About 2,450 rooms or over three-quarters of the planned hotel rooms were considered “onsite” meaning they are under construction.

The report says Egypt has the largest number of hotels under development in Africa, recording 85 hotels comprising over 21,000 rooms.

Global hotel chain Marriott International and Europe’s biggest hotel group Accor are some the global brands that will build the newest hotels in Kenya, according to the survey detailing upcoming investments in the hospitality sector.

This accounts for more than 25 percent of all new planned hotels in Africa in the first quarter of 2022.

Following Egypt in terms of total hotel development in the pipeline is Morocco with 7,209 rooms in development, spread across 50 new hotels.

Nigeria comes in third at 5,619 rooms in 33 hotels.

Ethiopia on the other hand has 5,206 rooms spread across 29 hotels while Cape Verde has 4,639 rooms in 17 hotels.

The next five places are taken by Algeria, 3,202 rooms, Kenya, 3,155 rooms, South Africa, 3,133 rooms Tunisia, 2,918 rooms and Senegal 2,693 rooms.

The expansion plans come at a time hotel chains are increasingly facing pressure from ultra-affluent clients who demand special services.

Marriott International announced in March this year it had signed an agreement with Baraka Lodges Limited to open its first luxury safari lodge in Maasai Mara, Narok County.

The JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge in Kenya is expected to open in 2023 and will be Marriott’s first luxury safari property in Africa.

The US hotel brand in a statement announced that the new facility to be opened next year at the Maasai Mara National Reserve will mark its entry into the Africa safari segment.

The Mara lodge will be the fourth property by the multinational brand in Kenya and plans to employ up to 50 locals once complete.

In 2018, Sankara and Marriott Group signed a franchise agreement that saw the Westlands hotel trade under its independently operated premium brand, Autograph Collection.

Marriott International also operates two other hotels in Nairobi, including the 172-room Four Points by Sheraton Nairobi Airport which opened in October 2017 and the 96-room Four Points by Sheraton Nairobi Hurlingham, which was a conversion.

The global hospitality group also announced in 2019 plans to establish another facility under its affiliate Protea Hotel brand as part of its Sh31 billion investment by its partners in Nairobi.

Other leading luxury hotels in Kenya that have announced an expansion in the last few years include Carlson Rezidor and Acacia Premier among others.

Kenya’s tourism industry has started to pull out of its deep Covid-19-induced slump as local travellers take advantage of lower prices, but foreign visitor numbers are still well below pre-pandemic levels.

Besides InterContinental Hotel, a number of top hotels, including Laico Regency and Radisson Blu in Nairobi’s Upper Hill, earlier stopped operations amid the coronavirus economic fallout. Radisson Blu has since reopened as the economy recovers.

Source: Business Daily

Passengers face more airport delays on return to UK

Tourists suffered severe hold-ups at airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Bristol

Holidaymakers who battled lengthy queues and delays leaving the UK could encounter further problems on their return journey as hubs in Europe and the US struggle with their own travel disruption.

Tourists have faced severe hold-ups at UK airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Bristol and Birmingham as they took advantage of relaxed Covid travel restrictions to enjoy a break at half-term.

Those who have been lucky enough to avoid the mass cancellations of flights by airlines such as easyJet and Tui could face problems getting back into the UK both by air and rail as other transport hubs in popular holiday spots reported disruption.

In Ireland, passengers at Dublin airport faced lengthy queues that stretched out of the terminal doors. Pauline Moore, who missed her Ryanair flight from Dublin to Stansted on Sunday morning, said in a Facebook post that the situation at the airport was “total bedlam”.

A press release from the airport acknowledged the problem it had coping with so many travellers and said it intended to implement a new plan to “improve queue management, maximise the availability of staffing resources, and increase the number of security lanes open at peak times”.

Dutch airline KLM last week largely suspended ticket sales for flights leaving from Amsterdam Schiphol airport – Europe’s third busiest – after queues stretched into the streets.

One easyJet customer told the Independent that the situation at the airport was “complete chaos” and that people were behaving “like animals”.

Schiphol’s chief executive officer, Dick Benschop, promised that the issues at the airport would “be gone by summer”.

The Paris Authority, which manages Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports, also warned of major disruption. A tweet from its account said it was having software problems that were affecting border control checks and this would lead to delays.

In a statement on its Twitter account on Wednesday, Eurostar said it was experiencing problems for similar reasons: “Our stations are very busy today. Passport and security checks are taking longer than usual due to issues with French authority control systems.”

In Sweden, the CEO of airport operator Swedavia, Jonas Abrahamsson, has been summoned to parliament to answer questions about long queues at Stockholm’s Arlanda airport. Travel blogger Rakhee said on Twitter that queues at Arlanda were “horrendous” and it took “a few hours” to get through security and passport control.

In the US more than 2,500 flights were cancelled over the four-day memorial day weekend. The industry struggled to cope with the increase in passengers, which led to delays at Los Angeles International Airport and Denver International Airport.

Airports and airlines were forced to significantly cut back staff after a succession of Covid lockdowns in Europe crippled the travel industry. But restrictions on travel have now mostly been dropped, and demand has surged as people try to get abroad.

However, despite a significant recruitment, drive airlines and airports have not managed to hire enough key workers, such as baggage handlers, to ensure that foreign travel runs seamlessly.

Willie Walsh, director general of the International Transport Association (IATA), earlier this week downplayed the prospect of travel chaos spreading to other airports. He said: “There are issues in some airports – it’s not across the world.”

Source: The Guardian

Kenya Airways to go cashless effective June 1 in Kisumu and Mombasa airport

Kenya’s national carrier, Kenya Airways has announced that it will implement an exclusively cashless system effective 1st June 2022.

This will be done at the Moi International Airport in Mombasa and the Kisumu International Airport.

“The implementation of a cashless system helps to support the customer shift and preference to cashless transaction and will ease cash collection and reconciliation issues at the airports ensuring efficient services to customers,” KQ said in a notice on Tuesday.

Payments will now only be accepted through debit or credit cards and other online payment apps.

Guests can choose from alternative payment options, including Credit/Debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, Union Pay) or M-pesa.

In 2021, Kenya airways sought to eliminate person-to-person contact by introducing cashless transactions as part of the fight against the coronavirus.

Chief commercial and customer experience officer for Kenya Airways, Julius Thairu, said the airline was encouraging customers to use mobile money payments, debit and credit cards to boost staff and passenger safety.

Source: The Star

Zanzibar’s minister aims to use Qatar World Cup as tourism hub

Tanzania is in negotiations with Qatar government to operate as a tourist hub for the visitors who are set to attend world cup matches in November and December.

This is one of the steps by the ministry of tourism to meet the country’s target of hosting five million tourists annually by 2025.

Speaking on Thursday, June 2, Zanzibar’s Minister of Tourism and Heritage, Simai Mohammed Said, described the intention of the meeting with Qatar ambassador to Tanzania was to make the country a hub for the visitors who will be going to watch world cup matches in Qatar

“We have talked about the ways we can trap some tourists to stay in Tanzania during and after the world cup kicks off, so that they can watch matches in Doha-Qatar and come back to Tanzania as their main base during the entire competition,” he said.

He added that Qatar Airways has been a major player in bringing visitors to Zanzibar and this has been vividly evident even during the covid-19 epidemic with their airline continued flying the route,

“Their planes have been making two trips a day. Today we recognize their contribution by giving them a certificate of appreciation through their ambassador as the way forward to further cooperation between the two countries,” he said.

Similarly, Mr Said requested the Qatar ambassador in Tanzania to facilitate the making and airing of documentary through Al Jazeera TV which will show the tourism attractions in Tanzania

For his part Qatar ambassador Mr Hussain Ahmad Al-Homaid said that he was delighted with the good and strong relationship between Tanzania and Qatar especially in the travel sector through Qatar airways which has been carrying many tourists to Zanzibar.

According to the report released by Qatar’s Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) Mr Hassan Al Thawadi, statistics show that they are expecting to receive more than 1.5 million visitors from every corner of the globe during the Fifa world cup.

Source: The Citizen

FIFA World Cup: Airfare to Qatar shoot up 1900% as Dubai expects to fill accommodation shortfall

Considering a shortage of accommodation in Doha for the huge influx of football fans for this year-end’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the tourism industry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is expecting Dubai and other tourist destinations to be the choice of stay by fans who can then commute for matches.

The airfares to Dubai and Qatar have seen an unprecedented rise of 1900 percent. The reason is the football World Cup. It is scheduled to be held from November 21 and December 18 in Qatar this year. The tourism industry is set for a boom in Qatar and the UAE. Football fans from across the world want to be there during this period.

Around 23.5 million enthusiastic football fans from around the world have applied for the tickets and though Qatar is going to add around 5000 more hotel rooms, there is still going to be a shortage, and countries in the GCC region, especially UAE, are expecting to fill the shortfall.

Authorities in UAE are confident that Dubai will be a place of choice to stay for World Cup visitors from other regions.

People associated with the tourism industry in UAE are expecting that travel from UAE to Qatar will be greatly accelerated during the event as football fans will fly to Doha from UAE to watch the matches, thus resulting in a substantial increase in prices.

Data from airlines show that one-way economy class airfare, which ranges from Dh360 (approx INR 7,604.74) to Dh 3,370 (INR 71,188.66approx) as of May 25, has already increased to Dh 7,110 (INR 150,194.30 approx) on November 20, a day before the start of the mega event.

Currently, UAE carriers Flydubai, Etihad, and Air Arabia and Qatar’s national carrier Qatar Airways operate flights between the two Gulf countries. Recently it was reported that Israel would also request Qatar to operate direct flights between the two countries during the FIFA World Cup.

Raheesh Babu, COO, Musafir.com, said that they are still waiting for more clarity from airlines. They are confident that people will be willing to stay outside of Qatar and visit the country for the matches only. Additionally, they are expecting airlines to significantly increase operations to accommodate the demand.

Although Doha has invested heavily in hotel accommodation and infrastructure for the world’s biggest sporting event, a shortfall remains, meaning many will stop for tournaments in neighbouring Gulf countries. Industry people in UAE are expecting Dubai to be their preferred choice.

Dubai-based realtors have said football fans are paying for short-term rentals in the Emirate. This could mean a bumper tourism season for the GCC, especially the UAE. In Dubai, estate agents are already seeing a surge in demand.

Around 23.5 million enthusiastic football fans from around the world have applied for the ticket sales draw. Most applications have been made by fans living in Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.

Apart from eager applications for the final, the most prestigious matches include Argentina v Mexico, Argentina v Saudi Arabia, England v USA and Poland v Argentina. Ticket applicants will be notified of their fate by email from May 31, 2022, beginning with the scheduled payment period.

Meanwhile, FIFA has told police chiefs of competing countries around the world, at a conference in Doha, that the main security concern of the 2022 World Cup would be controlling hundreds of thousands of football fans in Qatar’s capital.

FIFA Safety Director Helmut Spahn told attendees that securing the most geographically compact World Cup is one of the tournament’s biggest challenges. The longest distance between any two of the eight stadiums is approximately 70 kilometres. Police representatives from competing countries will assess World Cup stadiums at the conference and evaluate transportation in Doha.

Source: The Statesman

View: Carbon offsets may ease your flight guilt, but they aren’t saving the planet

Book a flight and you’ll usually get the option to pay to offset your carbon emissions. In essence, your contribution funds tree planting and other projects intended to counterbalance the carbon you emit.

It’s a clever marketing ploy. But carbon offsets are a dangerous distraction from the need to reduce emissions.

While global aviation emissions almost halved during the pandemic, they are predicted to reach pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year. In fact, they’re on track to rise a further 25 per cent by 2030 – with disastrous consequences for nature and climate vulnerable communities.

Carbon offset schemes perpetuate the idea that the climate crisis shouldn’t stop aviation from increasing. They assuage climate guilt, while passing the problem onto someone else.

Experts also agree they don’t work. In 2017, a European Commission report found that 85 per cent of offset schemes established under the Kyoto Protocol Clean Development Mechanism failed to reduce emissions. And last year, the EU stopped counting offset schemes in emissions reductions targets.

There are better ways to cut your holiday emissions. So, what should travellers do instead?

Fly less and stay longer

Limiting the number of flights, you take is the simplest and most effective way to reduce your holiday carbon.

Data from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) calculates that a return economy flight from London to New York emits an estimated 0.62 tonnes of CO2 per passenger. That’s 11 per cent per of the average Briton’s annual carbon footprint, and equivalent to the average Ghanaian’s total emissions a year. The more you fly, the heavier your footprint will weigh.

So, fly less, and instead stay longer. You’ll enjoy a more relaxing holiday and an opportunity to explore your destination in more depth too.

Swap planes for trains

Making the journey part of your holiday is a feasible option across much of Europe. Good connections link a multitude of popular holiday destinations. Taking the train from London to Madrid, for example, emits an estimated 174 per cent less CO2 than flying according to the Ecopassenger calculator.

Responsible Travel now offers over 160 flight-free holidays to Europe, while other tour operators such as Byway Travel, Exodus, and Cycling For Softies offer train travel as part of their tour packages too. Alternatively, The Man in Seat 61 is an excellent resource for independent travellers wanting to travel by train.

If an international flight is unavoidable, cut out other domestic flights if you can and explore your destination at a slower pace overland.

Explore destinations actively, or with emissions-free transport

Human powered exploration is not only emission-free but often wonderfully unexpected and eventful. Walking, cycling, or kayaking gives a more intimate perspective to your holiday and can lead to memorable chance encounters with local people. Electric bikes can take the strain when lungs or legs can’t.

On the electric front, some safari lodges in places like Kruger National Park, South Africa or Ol Pejeta Reserve, Kenya, now have lower-emission electric safari vehicles available. These have the added benefit of being quieter and less disturbing for wildlife.

Watch your ‘foodprint’ on holiday

With 37 per cent of global greenhouse gases coming from food production, what you eat on holiday can significantly impact your total carbon footprint too.

Choosing to eat local limits how far your food travels before it hits your plate. Farmers markets and restaurants serving fresh, locally sourced produce are a good place to start. As a bonus, this usually gives you the chance to try local delicacies and discover the dishes that make your destination sing.

If you want to go one step further, a plant-based diet can reduce your personal footprint by up to 73 per cent.

New alternatives to carbon offsets

Major airlines including British Airways, Lufthansa and KLM have recently launched schemes which allow passengers to fund the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Mixed in a 50 per cent ratio with standard aviation fuel, SAFs have the potential to lower flight emissions by up to 80 per cent.

However, their long-term effectiveness in decarbonising travel is still unknown and these schemes are still voluntary and expensive. What impact they will have remains to be seen.

When you do fly, make it count

The pandemic has thrown into sharp relief what can happen when tourism stops.

According to non-profit Conservation International, COVID lockdowns drove an increase in illegal mining and deforestation in Colombia and Brazil. In Africa, the charity says, the collapse of the tourism industry has driven an “alarming increase” in poaching and wildlife trafficking.

The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that tourism accounts for 319 million jobs globally. As well as protecting forests from more extractive industries, it funds crucial anti-poaching patrols, and has helped establish marine and terrestrial reserves that preserve global biodiversity.

Saving the planet will need both reductions in carbon emissions, plus extensive rewilding. If you do choose to fly, look for nature-positive holidays which actively benefit wildlife and habitats, and pick trips that ensure the money you spend ends up in local hands.

Carbon offsets aren’t even a sticking-plaster solution to our climate crisis.

Want to be a greener traveller? The truth is you’ll need to fly less and do more in your destination to reduce your carbon footprint. And when you do fly, make it count. You might find it makes for a more memorable holiday for you too.

Source: Euronews

Dubai ranked as top global destination for business events

Dubai was among the first destinations to resume in-person business events after the Covid-19 pandemic, hosting them as early as October 2020

Dubai has been named the number one destination globally for association meetings and business events in 2021 by a report of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).

The newly published ICCA Statistics Report, published by state news agency WAM, ranked Dubai the top city in 2021 both for the number of meetings organised by international associations and estimated participants at these events.

Dubai is showcasing its excellence in hosting business events at the 2022 edition of IMEX Frankfurt, the world’s leading meetings industry exhibition, with its largest ever delegation at the trade show.

The record participation underlines Dubai’s position at the forefront of the global business event sector’s recovery and the strong interest from meeting planners across the world to explore the city’s offerings and capabilities.

Dubai was among the first destinations to resume in-person business events after the Covid-19 pandemic, opening itself to hosting international meetings and attendees as early as October 2020.

Helal Saeed Almarri, director general of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, said, “Dubai’s number one ranking reflects the priority placed on restarting business events in Dubai and engaging with the association community to highlight the city’s readiness and safety measures. We continue to work closely with international associations to ensure that Dubai can provide a platform for their business events and add momentum to the recoveries of the respective professions and industries they serve.”

Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said, “We continue to see a robust and growing appetite among meeting planners and association executives to rebuild their event calendars and collaborate with destinations that can provide them with safety, stability and a diverse range of offerings. Our partners from across the city have once again stepped up to ensure that Dubai is able to present a unified and comprehensive proposition to a global audience.”

Source: Gulf Business

IMEX Frankfurt Asks Attendees to Take Pledge on Sustainability

As the business events community gathers in Germany for the 20th anniversary of IMEX Frankfurt, not only is there is focus on reconnecting after being away for two years but on sustainability as well.

As the business events community gathers in Germany for the 20th anniversary of IMEX Frankfurt, not only is there a focus on reconnecting after being away for two years but on sustainability as well.

IMEX asked all in attendance to take its People and Planet Pledge, consisting of four simple actions including choosing sustainable food options, recycling, and carbon offsetting travel.

IMEX is committed to the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative and will publish its pathway to net zero by the end of 2023. It uses the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a guide with the help of its sustainability consultants MeetGreen.

“We are committed not only to implementing best practices in event sustainability ourselves but also to using our influence to encourage everyone in our industry to maximize their efforts,” said Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group.

Not only is sustainability a focus of education programming at IMEX, but there is the IMEX-EIC People and Planet Village, a nature-inspired experiential area that highlights sustainability best practices.

For those interested in sustainable building design concepts, Kap Europa Messe Frankfurt was the world’s first convention building awarded Platinum Certification by the German Sustainable Building Council. Attendees had the chance to explore this venue in a behind-the-scenes tour.

In turn, many of IMEX Frankfurt’s exhibitors seized the opportunity to promote their sustainability efforts.

Destination Canada announced the launch of its Canadian Business Events Sustainability Plan, a first-of-its-kind national program aimed at improving the economic, social, and environmental sustainability practices of business events hosted in Canada. Actionable programs tailored toward the unique Sustainable Development Goals of individual cities will be rolled out to global clients to accelerate the industry’s progress toward net-zero targets.

“Developing and launching sustainable business event programs is not an option anymore. If our industry is to meet net-zero targets by no later than 2050, the entire supply chain must work in partnership to find and implement powerful solutions,” said Virginie De Visscher, Senior Director of Business Development, Economic Sectors, Destination Canada Business Events.

Another IMEX Frankfurt sustainability-focused initiative features the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, which has pledged to plant a tree for every meeting the company hosts at the show. The SEC has an existing relationship with the charity Trees for Life, which it has worked with for the last 15 years, contributing to the growth of 170,000 trees. The SEC, which hosted the globally recognized COP26 conference last year, has also announced its ambition to achieve net zero by 2030.

PROMTUR Panama, the country’s official destination marketing organization, was on hand promoting its new brand, “Live For More,” which focuses on Panama’s culture and biodiversity offerings. Three heritage pillars are featured in this new campaign – its multifaceted culture and ethnic groups, including seven indigenous groups that coexist, biodiversity, and the ocean. Read more about Panama’s sustainable efforts here.

Attendees also gauged their sustainability efforts at the visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office booth. Experts from the Sustainable Meetings Berlin initiative will apply 65 measures included in the document Sustainable Guidelines Berlin, which outlines steps for sustainable event planning. These include CO2-friendly arrivals for participants, selecting regional foods for catering, and the use of energy-friendly technology.

Hanse Mondial, the recently appointed ground handler for IMEX in Frankfurt, is managing hosted buyer transfers to and from Messe Frankfurt during the show.

The company has technology at the forefront of its service, with measures including an app to ensure service runs efficiently and sustainably during the three days of the show. The company also offsets its carbon footprint through an extensive tree planting program, with nearly 3,000 trees planted worldwide over the past eight months.

Source: Skift

Russia-Ukraine crisis has less impact on airlines – IATA

Impact from the conflict in Ukraine on air travel has been limited, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

It further said effects of the Corona virus Omicron variant continued to be largely confined to Asian domestic markets.

The latest IATA industry report shows total traffic in March as measured in revenue passenger kilometers was up 76 per cent compared to March last year.

Although that was lower than the 115.9 per cent rise in February year-over-year demand, volumes in March were the closest to 2019 pre-pandemic levels, at 41 per cent below.

Domestic traffic was up 11.7 per cent compared to the year-ago, far below the 60.7 per cent year-over-year improvement recorded in February.

This largely was a result of the Omicron-related lock downs in China. March domestic revenue per customer was down 23.2 per cent versus March 2019.

International revenue per passenger rose 285.3 per cent compared to same period last year, exceeding the 259.2 per cent gain experienced in February versus the year-earlier period.

Most regions boosted their performance compared to the prior month, led by carriers in Europe.

“With barriers to travel coming down in most places, we are seeing the long-expected surge in pent-up demand finally being realised,” IATA’s director general Willie Walsh said.

He added that unfortunately, there are long delays at many airports with insufficient resources to handle the growing numbers.

”This must be addressed urgently to avoid frustrating consumer enthusiasm for air travel,” he said.

African airlines had a 91.8 per cent rise in March compared to a year ago, improved compared to the 70.8 per cent year-over-year increase recorded in February.

Air travel demand is challenged by low vaccination rates on the continent as well as impacts from rising inflation.

Capacity in March was up 49.9 per cent and load factor climbed 14.1 percentage points to 64.5 per cent.

European carriers continued to lead the recovery, with March traffic rising 425.4 per cent compared to same period last year. It improved 384.6 per cent the previous month.

The impact of the war in Ukraine has been relatively limited outside of traffic to and from Russia and countries neighbouring the conflict.

Capacity rose 224.5 per cent, and load factor climbed 27.8 percentage points to 72.7 per cent.

Europe was followed by Middle Eastern airlines’ whose traffic rose 245.8 per cent during the month under review compared to similar period last year.

March capacity rose 96.6 per cent versus the year-ago period, and load factor climbed 31.1 percentage points to 72.1 per cent.

Latin American airlines ‘March traffic rose 239.9 per cent compared to the same month last year, a little change from the 241.9 per cent increase in February.

The region benefited from the end of bankruptcy procedures for some of the main carriers based there.

March capacity rose 173.2 per cent and load factor increased 15.8 percentage points to 80.3 per cent, which was the highest load factor among the regions for the 18th consecutive month.

North American carriers experienced a 227.8 per cent traffic rise in March, slightly down on the 237.3 per cent rise in February.

Capacity rose 91.9 per cent, and load factor climbed 31.2 percentage points to 75.4 per cent.

Source: The Star

Travel Trends Every Company Should Know

After taking a 52% hit in the first months of COVID, the business travel industry is experiencing an unprecedented surge. The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) projects industry spending to reach 2019 levels by 2024. The corporate travel agency TripActions says it has already seen pre-pandemic levels of “hyper-growth” within the first three months of 2022.

A younger workforce, shaped by a “work from anywhere” plague, has new demands. Business as usual travel is being replaced by a more flexible, connected and sustainable experience. Think fewer 500+ person multi-day conventions and more 30-50 people gatherings with overnight stays.

Here are five trends to monitor for your upcoming team trips.

“Bleisure” travel is getting bigger

Over the last few years, more employees have mixed business and leisure in a kind of globe-hopping known as “bleisure.” Over half of international travelers plan to extend their work trips to take advantage of their destination.

As the workforce gets younger, demand for this flexibility will only increase, with 90% of millennials already incorporating leisure into their travels pre-pandemic.

Two-day business trips of the past could become a one-month sightseeing venture, complete with weekend getaways. Bleisure enthusiasts take these jaunts once every two to three months. They look for a “home” environment, workspaces with strong internet connections and local flavor.

Of note: A new survey conducted by Visit Anaheim, ahead of National Travel and Tourism Week, found that 44% of 2,000 polled bleisure travelers claimed they turned down a work trip because they wouldn’t have had time for leisure activities while at their destination.

Travel as a time to connect

In a recent Deloitte study, managers said they are “seeking events with a powerful mix of networking and content.” Flying for business as usual, which can now be conducted remotely, is being replaced by travel for bonding and training.

This can facilitate networking, skills development, and recruitment. For remote teams, purposeful in-person interaction can be a game-changer for morale.

Unconventional accommodations versus hotel chains

Companies that used to only sign contracts with large hotel chains are now giving their increasingly GenZ and Millennial workforces greater flexibility in choosing their preferred accommodations. Over 70% of millennial corporate travelers had stayed in a vacation rental during work trips.

Instead of feeling like a hotel guest, the business traveler feels closer to local experiences in a vacation rental, like a hole-in-the-wall taco joint or mid-week salsa classes. Staying further afield from city centers is also becoming more popular as travelers prioritize comfort and proximity to leisure activities.

Self-booking and flexible corporate travel policies

With an increasing demand for unconventional accommodation, business travelers need more flexible policies and the option to self-book. For this reason, 68% of employees are booking their trips outside of employer-approved channels.

Some companies are providing tools to help employees resolve issues, falling back on agents only when self-service tools fail. Companies offering a variety of travel options see higher adoption rates for their corporate travel programs. Allowing workers to make decisions based on their needs creates a culture of transparency and trust between employers and employees.

The rise in corporate travel apps

Apps like Travel Perk offer flexible booking and carbon offsets while allowing companies to track spending and ensure employees are complying with their policies. Amex’s GBT Mobile app allows employees to book their trips, create expense reports on the go, receive updates to their corporate travel program and access 24/7 support from a travel counselor.

Flipping the trip script

Enabled by technology and evolving corporate policies, business travelers are taking more extended, unconventional trips and seizing new opportunities for bleisure and in-person connection.

Employees and employers will have to work together to adapt corporate travel policies, as well as the purpose and design of trips, to meet the needs of a younger workforce demanding a new way to work and explore.

Source: Entrepreneur