Korn Ferry surveyed 800 professionals and found that more than three quarters miss business travel and are looking forward to things getting back to normal, which can only be good news for the tourism and IPMI industries that are so reliant on business travellers, whether short or long term. 

Of the 800 professionals surveyed, 93 per cent said they prefer in-person meetings because they believe they create better long-term working relationships and 76 per cent reported that they miss travelling for business.  

What do employers need to check? 

The consulting firm is urging companies to check their insurance policies before they resume business travel, as well as bearing in mind other factors like Covid-19 restrictions at the destination. Having proof of vaccination and being prepared to wear a mask in public is also advised, as well as being flexible in case employees need to quarantine, creating guidelines for office visitors, and being prepared to alter plans at the last minute. Reviewing refund policies, buying trip cancellation insurance, and having a strategy in place to avoid large financial losses, are also advised. 

Business travel safety and risk management solution 

Meanwhile, travel risk company Riskline and software company Shep are collaborating on a new software tool that will help business travellers find the latest guidance.  

Shep is a browser extension that triggers travel notifications and alerts across multiple sites when employees are looking for or booking business travel. The partnership integrates Riskline’s Covid-19 API to provide in-depth travel data down to the state level across a range of countries including the US, Canada, Australia, Spain, and France. 

“Travel guidance and restrictions can not only differ from one country to another, but also vary considerably within a single country.” Suzanne Sangiovese, Commercial Director at Riskline said. “It’s important to reflect this in the travel data. We use multiple sources to gather the latest information – all human curated to ensure accuracy and relevance.”