As the business travel sector focuses on recovery post-COVID, collaboration can no longer just be a buzzword but rather a fundamental focus for the public and private sectors, cities, countries, regional economic blocs and all spheres of government. This was one of the main take-aways from Meetings Africa 2023 – held in Johannesburg earlier this month – which saw 22 African countries participating as exhibitors.

THE size of the global meetings industry amounted to roughly US$920 million in 2019. Next MSC forecasts that, after a backslide in 2020 (due the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic) this market is expected to rise steadily to approximately $1.8 billion by 2030.However, while corporate travel is starting to recover, the pandemic continues to impact the industry and industry players can see a change in booking behaviors’. For example, the shift to last-minute bookings, necessitated by the uncertainty of the past two years, hasn’t subsided as quickly as expected.

“The reluctance to book business travel in advance is fueled by the uncertainty created by widespread reports of flight delays and cancellations due to airline and airport staffing shortages,” said Bonnie Smith, GM of Corporate Traveler. “Companies continue to wait until the last minute to book flights as they monitor the situation. Unfortunately, it’s an expensive way to travel. ”She said the pandemic was a tipping point that raised consumers’ expectations for immediate results and instant gratification. “Whether they’re shopping online or booking a trip, they want a seamless experience, minimal hassle and an immediate result. ”Loyalty programmes are adapting to the ‘instant gratification’ trend by offering more flexibility in reward redemption.

The ability to immediately redeem rewards such as free Wi-Fi, a room upgrade or a later check-out will be more attractive to many business travelers than rewards that traditionally require high point totals. Smith adds that access to the technology offered by travel management companies can enable businesses to give their employees more freedom and flexibility when travelling and to satisfy the need for “instant gratification” with personalized bookings

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