Musafir.com, a leading online travel agency, is optimistic about the tourism industry and corporate travel seeing a gradual rise in demand, driven by increased traveler confidence, preference to personal interaction, vaccinations and the easing of entry restrictions in many destinations.
On average SMEs in the UAE spent an approximately AED250,000 annually (2019) on business travel. Musafir.com estimates travel demand to grow in 2022, bouncing back to 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
Findings gathered from Musafir’s platform indicates that companies/organisations do not plan to limit their business travel as they realise the value of face-to-face interaction and to ensure longevity of business relationships, said a statement.
The findings reveal that businesses are taking a conservative approach by increasing the frequency of travel and limiting the stay per trip to an average 1-3 days – should there be any unforeseen circumstances.
Riyadh, London, New York, San Francisco and Mumbai are key destinations for UAE corporate travelers – with conferences and trade shows accounting for a significant volume of business trips in addition to other meetings. Data also highlights that the UAE and KSA are seeing a rise in corporate travelers from India, France, USA, Egypt, Pakistan, Germany, UK, Russia and China.
In addition, requests for clean and hygienic 4/5 star- hotels that provide PCR testing services have soared.
“International tourism will recover as we see coordinated responses among countries, safety and hygiene protocols put in place, etc. that will help restore confidence not just in leisure but also in corporate travel,” said Sachin Gadoya, Co-founder. “We are also seeing various technology trends driving corporate travel to offer a seamless and automated experience and great cost-savings.”
The travel sector generates more than 10 per cent of global GDP and nearly 12 per cent of the world’s employment. Musafir are also identifying gaps in the travel ecosystem and are using their expertise in travel technology to work out an expense management tool that will be effective for corporations to save in unprecedented times.
Musafir.com recently enhanced its online booking platform, leveraging the latest advanced technology to offer a seamless experience to its customers and partners. Its technology platform gives organizations significant savings of up to 20 percent. The company also aims to expand its presence to four geographical locations by 2022 to meet growing travel demand, the company said.
