Orbitz Survey Finds Business Travelers Trimming Costs

With a lagging economy causing many travelers to change their ways, more than two-thirds (68 percent) of those surveyed this month by Orbitz for Business and Business Traveler Magazine say they are now staying at less expensive/lower star-rated hotels to save on travel costs.

Additionally, a large majority of business travelers and corporate travel managers, 79 percent, are feeling some degree of pressure to cut travel expenses, leading to myriad changes in traveler behavior in the corporate travel marketplace.

These are among the key findings of the first ever Orbitz for Business/Business Traveler Magazine Quarterly Trend Report, which examines the most prevalent issues affecting the corporate travel industry today.

While the report shows that many business travelers are in fact traveling differently, they aren’t necessarily cutting back –as more than half (60 percent) say they are conducting as much, if not more business travel in 2008 compared with 2007. A significant segment where companies and travelers alike are cutting back is trade shows and conferences.

Forty-four percent report that they, or their company, are planning to attend fewer trade shows this year, or will simply send fewer employees to those events that are being attended.

Forty-one percent of companies are tightening their travel policies and implementing more restrictions on travelers for hotels and dining. Nearly half, 47 percent of those surveyed, indicate changes to their company’s rental car policy, including requiring employees to rent smaller/least expensive car available (38 percent) and return vehicles with a full tank of gas to avoid costly surcharges (20 percent).