Business travel trends 2023: prepare for business travel to bounce back

Dec 15, 2022

Business person travelling for work

Read our predictions for 2024.

After a global pandemic almost brought business travel to a halt, work-related travel is rising again. And as we head into 2023, many workers will be back on the road to meet clients and attend events.

To help your company prepare for a rise in business trips, Bolt Business teams across Europe and Africa have shared their business travel predictions for 2023.

The business travel landscape will vary depending on where your company is based. With that in mind, you can read the 2023 predictions of team members in Europe and Africa below: 

For a global picture of the future of business travel, read on.

Three business travel trends for 2023

Based on the predictions made by the Bolt Business teams in Europe and Africa, there are three key trends we expect to see in 2023:

  1. Companies will take a safety-first approach to travel;
  2. Employers will use travel perks to boost employee retention;
  3. There’ll be a focus on cost minimisation and travel policies.

1. Companies will take a safety-first approach

Employee health and safety should always be your priority. During the pandemic, workers had time to consider whether employers prioritised their physical and mental health. And those suddenly working from home had their eyes opened to life without a commute.

Not driving to and from the office (and sitting in traffic) proved beneficial for people’s all-round health as they:

  • Had less stress;
  • Could spend more time with family;
  • Could make the most of morning productivity levels.

Now more than ever, hours spent driving to and from work in slow-moving traffic are seen as lost time. 

It’s all about supporting your team to make choices that support their physical and mental health, which leads us to the second prediction. 

2. Employers will use travel perks to boost employee retention

For 82% of employees, companies are more attractive when they offer a mobility budget.

If you’re looking to hire and retain top talent, you must look at offering travel perks to your employees. A mobility budget will make your company more attractive to employees and make getting hybrid and remote workers back to the office easier.

Taking action in this area will help boost retention and enhance your company’s reputation.

3. There’ll be a focus on cost minimisation and travel policies

An economic slowdown is seeing companies reduce expenditure. And travel policies are the easiest way to manage costs related to business travel. 

By building a clear set of travel policies, you can control spending, give your team a clear understanding of how much they can spend, and ensure there are no unexpected expenses.

Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach to travel policies, you should have several policies that suit the travel needs of different teams and individuals. That way, each traveller clearly understands the transport they can use, and your costs will always be within budget.

Keep up to date with the latest business travel trends

The needs of employees and companies are constantly evolving when it comes to business travel. Keep up with the latest trends by following Bolt Business on Linkedin.

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