Rapid innovation has transformed business travel - from airline pricing to personalised booking - but no industry sector has seen more significant change in recent years than ground transportation. Ride-hailing apps have made significant inroads in managed corporate travel. Rental car companies have consolidated and micro-mobility services such as electric scooters and bicycles for rent have continued to gain traction. Even before the Coronavirus pandemic, the ground transportation sector had undergone considerable transformation worldwide.
The Coronavirus has only exacerbated these changes. Ground transportation companies have introduced new safety measures - such as mask requirements, enhanced cleaning and in-vehicle partition screens. Customer behaviour and expectations have been transformed as well. In all likelihood, some changes will endure for years after the pandemic.
This study examines ground transportation on business trips in Europe - focusing on seven key markets: France, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The study is based on two separate surveys; one of business travellers and one of corporate Travel Managers, along with fifteen qualitative, in-depth interviews with Travel Managers. It addresses several key questions including:
Travel Policies
How do corporate travel policies address ground transportation on business trips? Have policies changed as a result of Coronavirus?
Travel preferences
Which modes of ground transportation do business travellers prefer to take on these trips? Have preferences changed as a result of the pandemic?
Coronavirus response
How have travel programmes responded to the pandemic? Have Travel Managers had conversations with preferred ground transportation providers about sanitation practices? Are business travellers interested in allowing their company to track data about their ground transportation rides to help with contact tracing?
Ride-hailing apps
What do business travellers and Travel Managers view as the most important features of ride-hailing apps? How often do travel programmes in Europe have a formal relationship, contract, or company account with a ride-hailing technology company?
Rapid innovation has transformed business travel - from airline pricing to personalised booking - but no industry sector has seen more significant change in recent years than ground transportation. Ride-hailing apps have made significant inroads in managed corporate travel. Rental car companies have consolidated and micro-mobility services such as electric scooters and bicycles for rent have continued to gain traction. Even before the Coronavirus pandemic, the ground transportation sector had undergone considerable transformation worldwide.
The Coronavirus has only exacerbated these changes. Ground transportation companies have introduced new safety measures - such as mask requirements, enhanced cleaning and in-vehicle partition screens. Customer behaviour and expectations have been transformed as well. In all likelihood, some changes will endure for years after the pandemic.
This study examines ground transportation on business trips in Europe - focusing on seven key markets: France, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The study is based on two separate surveys; one of business travellers and one of corporate Travel Managers, along with fifteen qualitative, in-depth interviews with Travel Managers. It addresses several key questions including:
Travel Policies
How do corporate travel policies address ground transportation on business trips? Have policies changed as a result of Coronavirus?
Travel preferences
Which modes of ground transportation do business travellers prefer to take on these trips? Have preferences changed as a result of the pandemic?
Coronavirus response
How have travel programmes responded to the pandemic? Have Travel Managers had conversations with preferred ground transportation providers about sanitation practices? Are business travellers interested in allowing their company to track data about their ground transportation rides to help with contact tracing?
Ride-hailing apps
What do business travellers and Travel Managers view as the most important features of ride-hailing apps? How often do travel programmes in Europe have a formal relationship, contract, or company account with a ride-hailing technology company?
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