Travel budgets take a battering

Buyers seeking cheaper air travel

More than a third of companies have cut their travel budgets, a new poll commissioned by the Business Travel Show has found.

Of the 170 buyers questioned, 38% said they had less to spend than last year.

It meant that most (65%) were seeking cheaper air travel, that 41% were downgrading accommodation and 18% using public transport rather than taxis.

The bulk (65%) also thought that the recession will last another 12-24 months.

But the poll did unearth some optimism with 21% of the buyers saying the downturn will not affect the number of trips booked while 2% said they would be booking more trips than before.

Just under half (49%) said that pressure to be "green" would not affect the number of trips booked as "face to face" meetings were essential.

David Chapple, Business Travel Show event director, said: "I'm not surprised that the credit crunch is affecting business travel buyers.

"It certainly explains why their focus this year, more than ever before, is on getting the best value possible out of their budget.

"They need to re-evaluate suppliers, push for more from existing ones and put contracts out to tender."

The Business Travel Show is at Earl's Court, London next week on February 10-12.

www.businesstravelshow.com