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Sabre Corporate Travel Survey reveals trends shaping booking behavior in Asia Pacific

As travel-related expenses become a central consideration for companies, the survey reveals that downgrades, shifting reservations from business to economy class, account for close to 40 percent of their bookings. What’s more, almost 1 in 4 have identified a significant increase in their LCC share of volume.

Singapore – Companies are expecting their corporate travel managers to contribute to their business success, to look for door-to-door travel booking solutions and to identify cost saving opportunities as economic growth continues to sweep across the region, according to the recent Sabre Corporate Travel Survey with over 70 corporate travel management companies (TMCs) from across Asia Pacific.

Todd Arthur, Vice President, Sabre Travel Network, Asia Pacific, said the results of this survey reflect the critical role of TMCs in assuring the business success of their clients, and Sabre is pleased to supply cutting-edge technology solutions that fuel this valuable partnership.

“More than ever, members of the travel industry need to work closely together to enable a smooth, relevant shopping experience for the traveller. For Sabre, collaboration with leading TMCs is enabling our ability to innovate and to continually reimagine the business of travel,” Arthur said. 

The survey’s results show almost 7 in 10 (65%) respondents admitting they are asked to identify cost savings. This cost-conscious approach is encouraging travel managers to find new ways to minimize spending. While premium economy continues to gain ground in the region, 1 travel manager in 3 has recorded an increase of close to 5 percent in premium economy bookings over the last year. 

As travel-related expenses become a central consideration for companies, the survey also reveals that downgrades, shifting reservations from business to economy class, account for close to 40 percent of their bookings. What’s more, almost 1 in 4 have identified a significant increase in their LCC share of volume.

The survey also reveals that 32 percent of respondents expect solutions that enable mobile booking capacities will become mainstream within the next two years, but only 10 percent believe that virtual payment solutions will gain widespread acceptance – an unfortunate conclusion, as virtual payments are a tremendous asset for corporate travel management companies looking to optimise their reporting capabilities through rich data capturing, and help to better manage revenue.

Finally, the Sabre Corporate Travel Survey also reveals that robust travel policies and better visibility of the total cost of trips are anticipated to become much more important in the next 2 years. Travel policy compliance remains an important cause for concern, with 76 percent of respondents indicating that travellers are using online consumer sites offering lower fares and rates to shop for their travel.

Greg O’Neil, President Asia Pacific, BCD Travel, said the company is partnering with clients, helping them to seek new ways to maximize revenue and reduce their costs, thus achieving their business goals. “Whether it’s through data-driven insights or traveller engagement tactics, together we drive change with innovative concepts and products,” he said.

By working with Sabre, who enable BCD Travel to have access to global content and thus contribute to its revenue management and reporting capabilities, the company has become strategic partners to its clients across the region, and the globe, O’Neil said.
 

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Sirima is the Editor-in-Chief of TravelDailyNews Asia-Pacific, responsible for the editorial aspects of the online news portal.

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