In the first of its kind, a landmark global State of the Market* Survey for Flight Centre Corporate has revealed that 40 per cent of businesses plan to increase their travel in FY25 (July to June), while 42 per cent of customers intend to increase their travel spend versus last year.
Utilising the innovative Qualtrics platform to survey its customers directly, the business received a random sample of more than 500 responses from flagship brands FCM Travel and Corporate Traveller spanning the globe, providing a true reflection of travel intentions worldwide.
Overall, 10 per cent of customers surveyed intend to travel more than 20 per cent more, 30 per cent plan to increase by up to 20 per cent more, 35 per cent believe the amount of travel will be the same, with only 10 per cent anticipating a reduction.
As for intention to spend, six per cent of customers surveyed plan on spending over 20 per cent more on their travel, 36 per cent intend to increase by up to 20 per cent more, 31 per cent believe the amount spent will be similar versus last year, while only 11 per cent anticipate reducing.
Melissa Elf, Global Chief Operating Officer of Flight Centre Corporate, said:
“Corporate travel is now, without question, deemed to be a non-discretionary spend for businesses as a critical facet to surviving and thriving across the globe – evidenced by a significant percentage of our customers planning to increase their travel volume and spend on travel.
“These figures paint a positive picture for the world of business travel going forward and will create flow-on effects for a multitude of destinations as corporates continue to utilise the ‘bleisure’ trend of adding on a holiday to the beginning or end of their trips.
“Businesses, whether they be large multi-nationals or SMEs and start-ups, are vital to the economy and it’s with great pride that we get to deliver our unique blend of the expertise of our people and our innovative technology to service them in their aspirations.”
Says Bonnie Smith, GM of FCM and Corporate Traveller in South Africa: “Understanding how much our clients plan to travel for business in 2025 and what they intend to spend provides valuable insights into the needs of business travellers as a community. In South Africa, high demand and limited availability are particular challenges. To prepare for 2025, companies should focus on controlling rising travel costs by adjusting budgets and negotiating better rates. Booking early and exploring alternative travel options can help manage these challenges. If you’re not working with a TMC, now is the time to start. A TMC can help streamline your travel management, optimise costs, and effectively navigate these challenges.”
*The State of the Market survey was conducted online between Monday 3 June 2024 to Thursday 11 July 2024. The target respondents were Corporate Traveller and FCM Travel customers, specifically decision-makers, travel managers, and authorised travel bookers. All Corporate Traveller and FCM Travel regions were included. A random sample of 562 responses were obtained.
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For more information about FCM Travel, or to interview FCM Travel General Manager South Africa, Bonnie Smith, call Lori Cohen on 079 641 4965 or email lori@bigambitions.co.za.
FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP SOUTH AFRICA
Flight Centre Travel Group (Pty) Ltd (“FCTG”) in South Africa is wholly owned by Flight Centre Travel Group Limited – an Australian based international travel company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, with a market cap of AU$3.34 Billion and a current share price of AU$16.75 as of 30 April 2021. FCTG has two level 1 B-BBEE subsidiaries: FCTG Corporate and FCM Travel Solutions. FCTG consists of two leading brands: Flight Centre and Corporate Traveller. FCTG has been recognized as one of Deloitte’s Best Companies to Work for in South Africa for 14 consecutive years.