Introducing the latest myCWT product and service enhancements
Building on our digital, omnichannel myCWT platform, our new products and services will simplify travel management for you and your employees – anytime, anywhere, anyhow.
Note: Featured services may not be available in your country at this time. Please reach out to your CWT representative for more details.
Hear from Chief Product Officer, Erica Antony as she shares the key product highlights of 2024, along with the key areas driving innovation.
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2040: Baseline, Boom or Bust
As we enter an era of rapid transformation and unprecedented challenges, it is essential for travel managers, meeting & event planners, and corporate decision-makers to look ahead and frame our current strategic thinking with a clear vision of the future. Business travel and meetings and events (M&E) are poised for significant change over the next decade and a half, driven by a complex interplay of sustainability goals, technological advancements, evolving work models, and geopolitical dynamics.
In this paper to mark the 10th anniversary of our Global Business Travel Forecast, we explore, for the first time, a long-term vision of the future and potential trajectories through three distinct scenarios, each offering insights into how these forces should affect policy-making, budgeting and priorities. By examining these scenarios, we can better understand the diverse possibilities that lie ahead and the strategic imperatives required to thrive in each potential future.
Based on trajectory data analysis and interviews with industry leaders, behaviorists and climate tech founders, this forward-looking approach enables us to anticipate changes, strengthen our strategies, and make informed decisions that align long-term objectives. It is through this lens of foresight and adaptability that we can build resilience, seize opportunities, and navigate the complexities of the future.
We invite you to reflect on the insights presented, and consider how your organization can prepare for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. Together we can ensure that travel and meetings remain catalysts for growth, scalability and sustainable practices.
- Scenario development is both an art and a science
- Megatrends Shaping the Future of Business Travel, Meetings and Events
- Sustainability goals the new crux of corporate policy
- Technology Revolutionizes Travel Management
- Modern work models spark new travel patterns
- Changing demographics open doors to new opportunities
- Three Scenarios: Base case, boom and bust
- Future-proofing strategies
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CWT GBTA Global business travel forecast 2025
When it comes to pricing, global business travel has finally reached an enduring, higher baseline. Prices will continue to rise in 2025, but only moderately, so expect a period of normalized growth.
However, this pricing environment, one of marginal gains and price regularity, is fragile. Global leisure travel has now realized a lot of its pent-up demand, while corporate travel has been resurgent, with 2024 edging at preCovid levels.
There are many factors at play, whether its volatile oil prices, labor costs and constraints, inflationary pressures, and geopolitical factors. As this elevated baseline edges upwards, albeit marginally, travel budgets will come under increased scrutiny, especially as travel patterns and attitudes change.
It’s why business travel can’t be viewed in a silo, and the true value to an organization must be fully realized. This forecast can help with those calculations.
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Capitalize on emerging technologies in corporate travel
Technological advancements are accelerating at an unprecedented pace. How will emerging innovations like Generative AI, blockchain, and self-sovereign identity (SSI) transform corporate travel?
BTN and CWT probed global CEOs, travel managers, industry consultants and tech experts on the promises, questions, and expectations these innovations raise and how they are set to reshape traveler experience, cost control and service delivery in corporate travel and events.
Download and discover
- The technologies that will have the greatest impact on corporate travel in the next 2-5 years
- How these emerging technologies are poised to control costs, enhance service and security, and boost efficiency
- The critical challenges, opportunities, risks and roadblocks each innovation raises
- What travel managers, buyers and experts anticipate from these innovations
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CWT’s 2017 Meetings & Events Forecast predicts event growth
CWT Meetings & Events launched its 2017 Forecast today. CWT uses data and insights about all aspects of the industry to provide meeting planners essential information they need to successfully plan and budget for the coming year.
From a global perspective, analysts predict GDP growth will be slightly lower in 2017, so now is the time for planners to get the very best value for money and reduce the cost per attendee. Although, there may be decreased client meeting spend in some regions, this year’s forecast still predicts the industry will see overall growth.
“Heading into 2017, our forecast predicts significant growth in meetings and events for regions around the world,” said Cindy Fisher, vice president and global head, CWT Meetings & Events. “By being flexible with timing and destinations, planners can take full advantage of the current market to optimize their meetings and events and produce better results.”
Key findings from this year’s forecast suggest:
- North America will move to a buyer’s market with hotel supply expected to surpass demand for the first time since 2009. Be flexible with destinations and dates to take advantage of this market change.
- In Brazil, hotel rates are expected to decrease as the recent World Cup and Olympic Games created a solid infrastructure and a supply surplus.
- For Asia Pacific, costs per attendee and group size are expected to grow with a 25% increase in the number of meetings.
- In Europe, strict company guidelines, reduced budgets, saving targets and increasing industry regulations for buyers could benefit midscale hotels poised to get more M&E bookings.
M&E trends around the globe:
- Food and Beverage: Prices are expected to rise globally. Why? Increased production prices, changes in imports and exports, and growth of special dietary requests from attendees.
- Safety and Security: Expanding deeper into M&E. How? Beyond traditional tracking of air travelers, to include manifests of all meeting attendees, to facilitate emergency planning.
- Virtual Attendance: Increasing use across M&E functions with technology that enables remote attendees to engage and participate with two-way interaction capabilities.
Tips to improve M&E in 2017:
- Advance Strategic Meetings Management Program
- Focus on the strategy, not the tactics and big impact areas.
- Consider outsourcing components of your program to accelerate development and add outside expertise, especially venue sourcing.
- Optimize Technology
- Re-examine your technology use to ensure support and value for your organization and M&E objectives.
- Implement Small Meetings Strategy
- Using transient spend with your small meetings program can maximize program benefits and cost.
Methodology
The information and findings in the 2017 CWT M&E forecast supplement are based on:
- The market-specific expertise and travel industry knowledge of CWT M&E personnel worldwide and spend data from the CWT global client portfolio
- The global study, Driving Success in Strategic Meetings Management, conducted by CWT Travel Management Institute (TMI) in partnership with the BTN Group. The study provides unique insights into how to set up and grow a successful SMM program based on practical advice from experts in the field. Visit CWT online for the full publication
- Macroeconomic and industry information as indicated
CWT Meetings & Events
CWT Meetings & Events (M&E) is an award-winning global corporate events management service. Representing all industry sectors, CWT M&E delivers comprehensive live, virtual and hybrid event solutions for thousands of customers every year. Ranging from end to end productions of some of the world’s largest and complex global conferences, through to intimate national teambuilding experiences.
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About Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Companies and governments rely on us to keep their people connected. We provide their travelers with a consumer-grade travel experience, combining innovative technology with our vast experience. Every day we look after enough travelers to fill almost 200 Boeing 747s and around 100,000 hotel rooms, and handle 95 corporate events. We have more than 18,000 people in nearly 150 countries, and in 2016 posted a total transaction volume of US$ 23 billion.
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CWT named Most Admired Travel Management Company
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) has been named the 2016 Most Admired Travel Management Company by readers of The Beat, a leading online business travel publication.
The 9th Annual Beat Readers’ Choice Awards are based on the results of a readers’ poll. Readers were asked which company in each of the six supplier segments they “most admire for its policies, management style and service for business clients.” The segments were airline, hotel, car rental, travel management company, tech provider and payment system.
With more than 10,000 subscribers, The Beat readers include corporations, TMCs, airlines, hotels, consultants and industry analysts.
“We are very honored to be recognized for this outstanding achievement by our customers and by industry leaders,” said Patrick Andersen, chief strategy and commerce officer, Carlson Wagonlit Travel. “At CWT, we pride ourselves on having the right products, technology and people to deliver an excellent user experience to our customers and travelers around the globe.”
About Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Companies and governments rely on us to keep their people connected. We provide their travelers with a consumer-grade travel experience, combining innovative technology with our vast experience. Every day we look after enough travelers to fill almost 200 Boeing 747s and around 100,000 hotel rooms, and handle 95 corporate events. We have more than 18,000 people in nearly 150 countries, and in 2016 posted a total transaction volume of US$ 23 billion.
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Volatility set to define travel in Energy, Resources and Marine sector in 2017
Driven by the combination of only slight growth in oil prices, minimal growth in both mature and emerging economies, and increases in alternative and renewable energy resources 2017 will be a volatile year for travel in the energy, resources and marine sector.
These are the key findings of the Carlson Wagonlit Travel 2017 Energy, Resources and Marine Forecast, launched today. The annual forecast provides travel buyers with comprehensive data to plan and budget for the coming year.
“There are economic headwinds that will have a significant impact on travel within the energy, resources and marine industry,” said Raphael Pasdeloup, senior vice president, global program solutions, CWT Energy, Resources & Marine. “We expect there will be some growth, but as the data from the report shows, there will also be volatility. Travel managers need to understand how these pressures will impact their travel programs, to keep them efficient and compliant.”
In the US, air travel will remain constant, neither growing nor shrinking, in 2017. Other areas of the Americas are likely to remain stable, but see some pricing volatility with regional carriers being aggressive in their pricing.
While hotel stays and rates may remain flat or even decrease globally, the Americas are likely to see a small price increase in hotel rates due to industry consolidation.
In China, airfares are expected to increase in 2017. However, the overall Asia Pacific market should remain stable as low cost carriers continue to have an impact.
In Europe and the Middle East, air pricing is expected to remain flat or decrease slightly.
Raphael Pasdeloup concluded, “Travel managers have several options to improve their purchasing in 2017. A quarterly review of their air spend can help them negotiate better rates with the airlines. Travel managers should also consider making the most of the decreased or flat hotel rates to negotiate longer-term deals.
This free report, which can be downloaded at carlsonwagonlit.com, helps travel managers make more informed choices to keep their spending efficient.
CWT Energy, Resources & Marine provides specialist travel services to the sector, managing over 700 worker rotations every day of the year.
Note to editors
Market volatility and political changes may have an impact on the projections in this report.
Methodology
The projections in the 2017 Energy, Resources and Marine Forecast are based on:
- A statistical model, developed by market and economic research firm, Rockport Analytics, that evaluates historical price behavior and forecasts future price references
- The market-specific expertise and travel industry knowledge of CWT Energy, Resources & Marine and CWT Solutions Group personnel worldwide
- Macroeconomic information sourced from Moody’s Analytics, the International Monetary Fund Research Department, the United Nations and others
Projections were derived based on transaction data from CWT’s global client portfolio, including clients’ travel footprints and patterns, over the past six years. Key macroeconomic and per-country indicators, such as current and expected GDP growth, the consumer price index, unemployment rates and crude oil prices, were used in the statistical model, as well as key supply-side drivers sourced from OAG and STR Global. All air statistics represent point of origin and include all trip types (long and short haul/domestic, continental and intercontinental).
About CWT Energy, Resources & Marine
CWT Energy, Resources & Marine provides specialized travel management solutions for organizations operating in oil and gas, diversified resources and mining, offshore, marine services and alternative energies. Building on more than 30 years of experience, we work closely with clients worldwide to find the right solutions for their complex travel needs, providing first-class service and leading-edge technology and products.About Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Companies and governments rely on us to keep their people connected. We provide their travelers with a consumer-grade travel experience, combining innovative technology with our vast experience. Every day we look after enough travelers to fill almost 200 Boeing 747s and around 100,000 hotel rooms, and handle 95 corporate events. We have more than 18,000 people in nearly 150 countries, and in 2016 posted a total transaction volume of US$ 23 billion. -
CWT Vacations partners with Beekman 1802 to host “Trip of a Lifetime” to India 10-day cultural immersion takes travelers through the Golden Triangle
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) Vacations today announced its partnership with Beekman 1802 – a lifestyle brand inspired by the Beekman 1802 Farm in Sharon Springs, N.Y. – to host a 10-day “Trip of a Lifetime” to India’s Golden Triangle in March 2017. The trip is available to travelers from North America and promises an enriching, hands-on experience emphasizing tradition and local customs.
“Travel allows people to understand the world in a new way,” said Christine Ufniak, director of marketing for CWT Vacations. “We worked closely with Beekman 1802 to craft an eye-opening, inspiring cultural immersion experience. This itinerary is a balance of adventure, relaxation and education, with opportunities to give back to the local community. If visiting India is on your bucket list, this is an excellent way to do it.”
The trip itinerary reflects the Beekman 1802 brand – which emphasizes living better lives, season by season, neighbor by neighbor – throughout all 10 days of the trip. An intimate group of travelers will journey through the Golden Triangle, visiting the bustling capital of Delhi; Agra, home to the incomparable Taj Mahal; and Jaipur, the land of kings.
“The Beekman 1802 brand grew from the desire to build community,” said Brent Ridge, co-founder of Beekman 1802. “We’ve always said that while our farm is a place on a map, our neighbors are people from all around the world. Partnering with CWT to offer this trip allows us to share this vision and demonstrate – through international travel – just how widespread and welcoming that community can be.”
Planned activities include historical tours in each city that embed travelers into the unique culture of each destination, participating in traditional farming techniques of the regions, preparing and serving meals to children in Delhi, celebrating the festival of colors, and much more.
Beekman 1802 is one of the fastest growing lifestyle brands in the U.S., founded by Josh Kilmer-Purcell and his partner Brent Ridge. They purchased the historic Beekman 1802 Farm in 2007 that continues to inspire the brand and their thousands of fans across the country.
If interested in learning more or booking this trip of a lifetime, contact Anna Kamrow: 763.852.8119
About Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Companies and governments rely on us to keep their people connected. We provide their travelers with a consumer-grade travel experience, combining innovative technology with our vast experience. Every day we look after enough travelers to fill almost 200 Boeing 747s and around 100,000 hotel rooms, and handle 95 corporate events. We have more than 18,000 people in nearly 150 countries, and in 2016 posted a total transaction volume of US$ 23 billion.
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Recent study reveals best practices for establishing a mobile travel strategy
While more than half of travel managers have endorsed a mobile app in the past year, almost 70 percent indicate their travel program does not have a mobile strategy in place, reported a recent study conducted by the GBTA Foundation in partnership with Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) and the Carlson Family Foundation. Of the travel programs that have not adopted one, almost half will do so in the next two years, according to the travel managers surveyed.
“A strategy means thinking beyond apps,” said Dominique Betancourt, data insight manager for CWT Solutions Group. “It requires a broader view that takes the pieces of your travel program and brings them into the mobile environment to drive engagement, compliance and savings.”
The study, A Mobile Effect: Setting a Clear Mobile Travel Strategy, looks not only at current and future adoption, but also explores apps that are already in place and recommends best practices for implementing a mobile travel strategy. Research found most organizations already have the technology and the willingness from travelers to embrace it, but need to take into account the organization’s culture and the travelers’ needs, as well as the organization’s goals.
“The focus of a mobile travel program strategy should be centered on how to make a traveler’s experience so simple in program that there is more value there than outside the program,” said Monica Sanchez, GBTA Foundation Director of Research. “The study identifies best practices for where to start with a mobile travel strategy as well as next steps, enabling travel professionals to better serve both their travelers and the management of their programs.”
A Mobile Effect: Setting a Clear Mobile Travel Strategy is available to download. The research methodology – which consisted of both a short online survey of travel professionals in the United States and in-depth interviews with travel professionals across the United States and Europe – can be found on page 3 of the study. A webinar featuring experts from CWT and the GBTA Foundation discussing the study in greater detail will take place September 8 at 2 p.m. ET.
About Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Companies and governments rely on us to keep their people connected. We provide their travelers with a consumer-grade travel experience, combining innovative technology with our vast experience. Every day we look after enough travelers to fill almost 200 Boeing 747s and around 100,000 hotel rooms, and handle 95 corporate events. We have more than 18,000 people in nearly 150 countries, and in 2016 posted a total transaction volume of US$ 23 billion.Follow us on Twitter and Linkedin
About the GBTA Foundation
The GBTA Foundation is the education and research foundation of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area with operations on six continents. Collectively, GBTA’s 8,000-plus members manage more than $345 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA provides its growing network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts with world-class education, events, research, advocacy and media. The Foundation was established in 1997 to support GBTA’s members and the industry as a whole. As the leading education and research foundation in the business travel industry, the GBTA Foundation seeks to fund initiatives to advance the business travel profession. The GBTA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. -
CWT innovating to help clients reduce costs and increase personalization
Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s Solutions Group has today introduced four new proprietary products to help corporate travel managers both cut costs and engage their travelers in new ways.
The new products help reduce non-compliant spending, reclaim surcharges on corporate car rentals, analyze traveler data to reduce cost from traveler behavior and provide comprehensive ground transportation options.
Christophe Renard, Vice President of CWT Solutions Group Worldwide, said, “We are at the forefront of the travel management industry and to stay there, we need to constantly innovate. We are always looking for new ways to capitalize on data insights, and to find more efficiencies by being smart about relationships with both travelers and suppliers.”
According to CWT research, travel managers don’t have visibility over nearly a third of a company’s Travel and Expense (T&E) spend because it isn’t consolidated in a single data set. The resulting unmanaged spend takes control away from corporate travel managers, potentially increasing costs and reducing corporate buying power. CWT is helping travel managers take that control back.
Christophe explained, “Our T&E platform automatically consolidates all data sources, including from the travel management company, from credit card spend, and third party suppliers. We use that information to provide an immediate view of all non-compliant spending. We can also reconstruct the total cost of each trip. Travel managers can then have an accurate view of all spending, compliant and non-compliant, enabling them to adjust their policy as necessary, or simply make sure it is better communicated internally.”
As well as understanding T&E spend, it is also important travel managers have a deep understanding of their travelers. Studies show that managing their behavior properly can bring savings of up to 15 percent. It also helps provide more personalized communication options, which is exactly what travelers are increasingly demanding.
Christophe continued, “Our new traveler segmentation platform segments travelers’ behavior using key data including demographics, seniority and travel frequency information. It means travel managers can tailor their communication to each traveler, encouraging those travelers to comply with the policy. The end result is greater savings and a reduced overall travel spend.”
Suppliers are also very important when it comes to reducing cost. Car rental companies are including surcharges to corporate travelers when they should not; insurance and refueling fees are the key areas. CWT’s new audit solution examines all your car rental spending and identifies the savings you can claim back.
Christophe said, “We know exactly how to identify where the charges should be repaid and how to make that happen. The beauty of our car rental contract review offer is that there is no upfront fee to our clients. Instead, we share the recovered costs, with you getting the bulk of the savings.”
Travelers typically are given little or no guidance about local ground transportation – public transportation, taxis, rental cars and so on. The disconnect is that this makes up a significant part of unmanaged spend, as well as potentially adding to traveler confusion. CWT’s new solution gives travel managers the means to guide their travelers to the most appropriate form of transport. It is particularly important with the options changing fast, for example with Uber and Lyft disrupting the traditional market. This both reduces costs and can improve the traveler experience.
All of these new offerings are already available for CWT Solutions Group clients.
About Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Companies and governments rely on us to keep their people connected. We provide their travelers with a consumer-grade travel experience, combining innovative technology with our vast experience. Every day we look after enough travelers to fill almost 200 Boeing 747s and around 100,000 hotel rooms, and handle 95 corporate events. We have more than 18,000 people in nearly 150 countries, and in 2016 posted a total transaction volume of US$ 23 billion. -
Carlson Wagonlit Travel expands beyond fare tracking services to hotel rate tracking
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), a global travel management company, today revealed that its U.S.-based customers are now saving an average of $305 per trip by tracking airfare and hotel price fluctuations and rebooking when a lower available rate becomes available. The company’s fare tracking solution – powered by Yapta’s FareIQ – has delivered customers an average airfare savings of $170 per ticket. Meanwhile, its hotel rate tracking solution – powered by Yapta’s RoomIQ– has delivered an average savings of $135 per hotel stay.
In 2013, CWT launched its fare tracking technology after completing a thorough evaluation of Yapta’s FareIQ technology with select U.S. clients. Late last year, shortly following Yapta’s launch of RoomIQ, CWT was the first company to expand its price tracking services and launch a hotel rate tracking solution. To date, CWT’s solutions have tracked nearly $3 billion in airfare and hotel spend.
“Price tracking technology has ensured that customers always get the lowest cost and best value for their travel at no additional work to the travel manager – and with minimal impact on the traveler,” said Ben Scott, vice president of marketing at CWT. “CWT has a central fulfillment team that’s dedicated to supporting the price tracking initiative for both hotels and airfare. This is another way CWT is dedicated to providing best-in-class service, even after a transition has been made.“
In 2015, CWT released its annual Travel Management Priorities report offering analysis of its annual travel manager survey. According to the report, 59 percent of travel managers in North America had planned on deploying a fare tracking and rebooking solution in 2016.
With access to the unparalleled data provided by Yapta’s IQ technologies, corporate travel managers are better equipped to enforce booking policy, enhance supplier negotiations, and maximize reductions to the average ticket price for airfare, and the average daily rates for hotels. Yapta provides transparency into room types booked (view, club level, superior), greater visibility into how well negotiated rates perform against market rates, and a clear picture of the true value of amenities. In addition, traveler satisfaction is improved as they now have the confidence to book at their convenience, knowing that they either secured the best price – or as prices fluctuate, that they will ultimately receive the lowest price.
“The sophisticated yield management systems utilized by airlines and, more recently, hotel suppliers have made it difficult for corporations to ensure their employees travel for the lowest cost,” said James Filsinger,president and CEO of Yapta. “The price tracking technologies provided by CWT – and powered by Yapta – are leveling the playing field for today’s corporations, providing them with actionable insights for everyday savings and valuable analysis for stronger supplier negotiations.”
For more information on how Fare Tracking and Hotel Rate Tracking from CWT can deliver real savings to managed travel programs, contact us.
About Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Companies and governments rely on us to keep their people connected. We provide their travelers with a consumer-grade travel experience, combining innovative technology with our vast experience. Every day we look after enough travelers to fill almost 200 Boeing 747s and around 100,000 hotel rooms, and handle 95 corporate events. We have more than 18,000 people in nearly 150 countries, and in 2016 posted a total transaction volume of US$ 23 billion. -
2017 Global Travel Price Outlook identifies key risks for global market
New research out today highlights six key risks heading into 2017 that could impact both travel industry prices and the global economy as a whole. They are emerging market performance, financial market turbulence, geopolitical risks, uncertainty surrounding Brexit, potentially fluctuating U.S. interest rates and oil prices.
“While business travel repeatedly demonstrates its resilience, the high level of global uncertainty we face heading into 2017 means travel buyers have to be more nimble and flexible than ever in crafting travel programs,” said Jeanne Liu, GBTA Foundation vice president for research. “The outlook shows only marginal increases or flat travel prices, but for 2017, the key to building successful travel programs will be watching and reacting to an ever-changing global landscape.”
These findings come from the 2017 Global Travel Price Outlook, research from the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), and leading travel management company Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT). The third annual report provides global, regional and country-by-country projections for air travel, hotel, ground transportation and meetings and events prices in 2017.
Kurt Ekert, President and Chief Executive Officer of CWT, said, “We are seeing relatively low, inconsistent and in some cases fragile economic growth. Travelers and travel managers need to understand their travel patterns and spend, and be alert to the impact of economic uncertainty and volatility. Proper planning will put them in position to make changes when necessary, and to avoid downside financial risk.”
Air
Airline prices are projected to increase only slightly (2.5 percent) in 2017, while fares may actually fall below 2015 levels in some markets due to continued low oil prices. Ancillary fees will have an increasing impact: they grew to 7.8 percent of global airline revenue in 2015, up from 6.7 percent in 2014 and that trend is set to continue.
- Asia Pacific, while projected to experience a 1.1 percent decrease in prices, is expected to remain mostly stable throughout 2017, helped by lower fuel prices. Japan and Singapore however, are expected to see a significant impact on airfare pricing given currency exchange rate projections.
- EMEA is a mixed bag. It is anticipated that Eastern Europe will see a 4 percent increase in prices due in part to [limited competition prices in Western Europe prices are expected to increase by 0.5 percent and in Middle East and Africa by 2 percent.
- Latin American and the Caribbean are expected to experience a 1.9 percent decrease in prices.
- In North America fares are projected to increase 3.7 percent. Carriers are expected to reinvest some of the profits enabled by low fuel prices to purchase new aircraft and improve their product.
Hotel
Mega hotel mergers are grabbing headlines, but their impact on prices likely won’t be felt until 2018. Hotel services such as room service, laundry and security remain important to corporate travelers. Traditional hotels, therefore, remain an attractive option for business travelers, despite the sharing economy options.
- Asia Pacific is expected to see hotel prices fall slightly, by 0.6 percent.
- EMEA again varies by region as geopolitical issues impact on hotel rates. Also, low oil and gas prices have decreased corporate travel for [the sector, primarily in the Middle East, Africa and Russia. It is anticipated that Eastern Europe prices will fall 2.4 percent, Western Europe prices will increase 1.8 percent, and Middle East and Africa rates will fall slightly, by 0.5 percent.
- Prices in Latin America and the Caribbean are projected to decrease by 0.9 percent.
- Overall, North American hotel prices are expected to rise by 4.0 percent in 2017, but it will be a tale of two coasts. West Coast cities, including Seattle, Los Angeles, San Jose and Vancouver, will experience high single- to double-digit growth because of the high-tech boom and a shortage of hotel rooms. Meanwhile, East Coast cities including New York City and Toronto, as well as Canada’s oil and gas region, will face low growth or even a reduction because of an over-supply of hotel rooms.
Ground
An intensely competitive climate will dictate continued flat pricing for the global ground transportation sector.
- Asia Pacific prices are expected to increase slightly, by 0.8 percent.
- EMEA is projected to remain flat across the board, with a very slight 0.1 percent decrease expected in Western Europe.
- LATAM prices will edge forward by 0.5 percent.
- Prices in North America are expected to remain flat in 2017.
Meetings & Events
Modest increases in cost per attendee, per day, for meetings and events are expected for Asia Pacific and North America. Europe is expected to remain flat and Latin America will see a decrease of 10 percent. Group sizes will increase marginally in the 3-6 percent range for Asia Pacific, Europe and North America, while remaining flat in Latin America.
Download the full report on the GBTA website
Notes to Editors
The report will be discussed at GBTA Convention 2016 at the Colorado Convention Center:
A Glimpse into 2017: Forecasting Supplier Prices
Mon. July 18| 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM | Mile High BR 4D-4FThis forecast is conducted and presented in U.S. dollar terms, which offers consistency with previous forecasts and easy geographical comparison. At the same time, USD can differ significantly from prices in local currency terms, making it critically important to consider exchange rates when analyzing expectations for prices increases.
About Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Companies and governments rely on us to keep their people connected. We provide their travelers with a consumer-grade travel experience, combining innovative technology with our vast experience. Every day we look after enough travelers to fill almost 200 Boeing 747s and around 100,000 hotel rooms, and handle 95 corporate events. We have more than 18,000 people in nearly 150 countries, and in 2016 posted a total transaction volume of US$ 23 billion.Follow us on Twitter and Linkedin
About the GBTA Foundation
The GBTA Foundation is the education and research foundation of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area with operations on six continents. Collectively, GBTA’s 8,000-plus members manage more than $345 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA provides its growing network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts with world-class education, events, research, advocacy and media. The Foundation was established in 1997 to support GBTA’s members and the industry as a whole. As the leading education and research foundation in the business travel industry, the GBTA Foundation seeks to fund initiatives to advance the business travel profession. The GBTA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information, see gbta.org and gbta.org/gbta-foundation. -
CWT research: 20% of business travelers take Bleisure trips every year
Adding some leisure time to a business trip might seem like a new phenomenon. But Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s Solutions Group’s analysis of 29 million business trips, the results of which are released today, shows the amount of bleisure has remained the same for the past five years.
The quantitative results showed that one in five business travelers take bleisure trips each year, accounting for seven percent of all business trips. In nearly half of bleisure trips, the personal days occur at the end of the trip, in 34 percent at the beginning, while for the remaining 20 percent leisure occurs at both ends of the trip.
Catalin Ciobanu of CWT Solutions Group said, “More and more people are talking about the concept of people adding leisure days to business trips – or bleisure – so it was surprising to see there has been no real increase in bleisure recently. What’s happening is that bleisure travelers tend to take one or two bleisure trips each year, regardless of demographic segment or travel frequency”.
Other key findings are that female business travelers are more likely to take bleisure trips than their male counterparts. Also, the youngest travelers are much more likely to add leisure time to their work travel. Both of these trends are explained by the lower total volume of business travel in the female and younger traveler segments.
Distance also has a major impact: the longer the flight, the higher the likelihood for bleisure. The attractiveness of a destination for bleisure travelers depends on the city of origin. For example, the San Francisco to London route has a bleisure rate of 23 percent, compared to Paris to London, with a rate of only two percent.
Ciobanu continued, “These results are interesting in themselves because they help us to understand the bleisure mechanism. More importantly, the travel industry needs to learn from them. For corporate travel managers, the key learning is the need to take bleisure options into account for their travel policy, especially for programs with a high volume of long-haul trips. There are also learnings for suppliers: knowing who is more likely to take bleisure trips will allow them to better anticipate and cater to the needs of business travelers.”
CWT Solutions Group analyzed a data set of business trips booked by CWT worldwide between 2011 and 2015. The definition of bleisure requires a Saturday night stay at the destination either at the beginning or at the end of a trip, or both.
About Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Companies and governments rely on us to keep their people connected. We provide their travelers with a consumer-grade travel experience, combining innovative technology with our vast experience. Every day we look after enough travelers to fill almost 200 Boeing 747s and around 100,000 hotel rooms, and handle 95 corporate events. We have more than 18,000 people in nearly 150 countries, and in 2016 posted a total transaction volume of US$ 23 billion. -
CWT/BTN Group research: 96% rank Strategic Meetings Management as successful
Companies that have implemented a program for the strategic management of meetings say their programs are successful, though they also say there is still more work to do. The key benefits of an SMM program are greater transparency of spend, cost reductions, improved compliance, risk mitigation and, ultimately, improved effectiveness of their meetings and events. This is according to a new global study, released today by Carlson Wagonlit Travel and The BTN Group.
Driving Success in Strategic Meetings Management, based on both quantitative and qualitative research, highlights the clear benefits of strategic meetings management (SMM) programs. However, it also shows that the market remains immature.
More than half of the respondents said they had made 10 percent savings from their SMM program, with a further 17 percent of respondents saving more than 15 percent.
The research found that many factors go into the make-up of a strategic meetings management program, making each one unique. There is a perception that the lack of a standard is because SMM is complex. However, SMM programs are in fact ultimately flexible and are tailored to each company’s specific requirements. Over 60 percent of the survey respondents outsource an element of their SMM program, be it tactical support or consulting services for example, which also helps simplify the path to success.
Kari Wendel, Senior Director of Global SMM Strategy & Solutions at Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s CWT Meetings & Events line of business, said, “What we found is that practically everyone who runs a strategic meetings management program defines their program as successful. All the experts agreed that a strategic meetings management program doesn’t have to be complicated and the returns can come very quickly. The advice that emerged from our research is that if you’re starting out, it’s a question of keeping it simple and focusing on strategy: tactical implementation will follow quickly. Don’t be too ambitious to begin with, demonstrate value and then grow. And the absolute key is to identify your stakeholders early on and get their buy-in.”
While there are many components to SMM, strategies typically start with centralized sourcing and contracting of hotel suppliers. This is where much of the cost transparency and saving arises. The study showed that cost transparency and reduction is seen as the most important success metric, followed by attendee and sponsor satisfaction and regulatory compliance.
One of the main barriers to implementing an SMM program is volume: a significant number of survey respondents felt they did not have enough meetings to justify a program. However, the benefits can be realized by companies that spend as little at US$1 million on meetings each year. Over 70 percent of respondents with a program are looking to expand it, clearly demonstrating the value of SMM programs.
Cindy Fisher, Vice President of CWT Meetings & Events at Carlson Wagonlit Travel, said, “We also looked to the future and found that there will be integration of SMM programs with marketing and events programs. Continuing industry consolidation is also going to have an impact. Bigger hotel groups, for example, will make it harder for companies without a strategic approach to negotiate good rates, or even perhaps secure space. What is abundantly clear is that an SMM program is rapidly becoming a necessity.”
CWT and The BTN Group interviewed with more than 20 travel and meetings management experts and SMM professionals. In addition, 246 meetings planning professionals, from multiple regions of the world, completed an online survey.
About Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Companies and governments rely on us to keep their people connected. We provide their travelers with a consumer-grade travel experience, combining innovative technology with our vast experience. Every day we look after enough travelers to fill almost 200 Boeing 747s and around 100,000 hotel rooms, and handle 95 corporate events. We have more than 18,000 people in nearly 150 countries, and in 2016 posted a total transaction volume of US$ 23 billion. -
CWT’s Executive Team re-aligns to drive new level of customer experience
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) is realigning its organization to better drive innovation and differentiation.
Kurt Ekert, CWT’s new President & CEO, explains, “Our primary focus is on delivering a great user experience and increased value to our customers. I am excited to embark on the digital journey ahead with our leadership team and all of our colleagues across the world.”
The CWT executive leadership team now includes the following new appointments:
- Andrew Jordan, who joined CWT as Chief Technology Officer in April, expands his remit to include end-to-end product delivery lifecycle and innovation.
- Kelly Kuhn is appointed Chief Customer Officer. Kelly’s remit includes global sales, customer engagement and program management, as well as the CWT Global Partners Network. Kelly previously served as President EMEA.
- Patrick Andersen is appointed Chief Strategy & Commerce Officer. Patrick’s responsibilities include enterprise strategy, marketing, corporate communications, and CWT’s supplier customer relationships, including technology and distribution partners. Patrick was previously President Americas.
- Scott Brennan is appointed President Hotels, leading a new division vertical including all elements of CWT’s end-to-end hotel business. Scott most recently was EVP Global Supplier Management.
- David Moran is appointed Chief Human Resources Officer, moving from his prior role as EVP Global Marketing & Enterprise Strategy.
For a complete picture of CWT’s Executive Leadership Team visit the page Our Leaders.
About Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Companies and governments rely on us to keep their people connected. We provide their travelers with a consumer-grade travel experience, combining innovative technology with our vast experience. Every day we look after enough travelers to fill almost 200 Boeing 747s and around 100,000 hotel rooms, and handle 95 corporate events. We have more than 18,000 people in nearly 150 countries, and in 2016 posted a total transaction volume of US$ 23 billion.
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Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s new CEO confirms his strong commitment to Responsible Business in the company’s fourth annual sustainability report
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), a confirmed responsible business leader in the travel industry, today released its fourth annual Responsible Business Report. The report shows how CWT is leading as an ethical and socially responsible company. It also highlights unique and personal stories from employees around the world, showing how they are bringing responsible business to life inside the company.
Kurt Ekert, CWT’s recently appointed President and CEO, commented, “When I joined the company in April, it immediately became clear that Responsible Business is an integral part of the CWT culture and the way we do business. I’m excited about the journey ahead that will see us further reinforce our position as the Responsible Business leader within the travel industry.”
EcoVadis, the independent consultancy that assesses organizations’ environmental, social and ethical performance, has recognized CWT’s responsible businesses practices with a 2016 silver rating and top marks in all EcoVadis Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) pillars.
“At CWT, Responsible Business is about leading by example. We therefore have a clearly-defined strategic approach and governance model that is underpinned by our long-term commitments and the objectives we aim to achieve by 2020″ – Françoise Grumberg, Vice President Global Responsible Business.
CWT made significant and steady progress in all seven of its Responsible Business domains in 2015. Key accomplishments include reinforcement of our environmental reporting worldwide, continuous and systematic training on our ethics policy, implementation of a global responsible purchasing program and launch of the employee-focused Living Responsible Business program.
CWT continues to strongly commit itself to the UN Global Compact’s Ten Principles, covering the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.
About Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Companies and governments rely on us to keep their people connected. We provide their travelers with a consumer-grade travel experience, combining innovative technology with our vast experience. Every day we look after enough travelers to fill almost 200 Boeing 747s and around 100,000 hotel rooms, and handle 95 corporate events. We have more than 18,000 people in nearly 150 countries, and in 2016 posted a total transaction volume of US$ 23 billion.