Musafir data reveals corporate travel back to 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels

10x Industry

Mita Srinivasan
10x Industry
Published:

Musafir data reveals corporate travel back to 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels

Riyadh, London, New York, San Francisco and Mumbai are key destinations for UAE corporate travellers - with conferences and trade shows accounting for a significant volume of these business trips. Data also highlights that the UAE and KSA are seeing a rise in corporate travellers from India, France, USA, Egypt, Pakistan, Germany, UK, Russia and China.

Musafir estimates travel demand to grow in 2022, bouncing back to 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels. The company is optimistic about the tourism industry and corporate travel - seeing a gradual rise in demand; driven by increased traveller confidence, preference to personal interaction, vaccinations and the easing of entry restrictions in many destinations.

Findings gathered from Musafir’s platform indicates that organisations do not plan to limit their business travel as they realise the value of face-to-face interaction and to ensure longevity of business relationships. On average, SMEs in the UAE spent an approx. AED 250K annually (2019) on business travel.

The findings reveal that businesses are taking a conservative approach by increasing the frequency of travel and limiting the stay per trip to an average 1 - 3 days. Riyadh, London, New York, San Francisco and Mumbai are key destinations for UAE corporate travellers, with conferences and trade shows accounting for a significant volume of business trips in addition to other meetings. Data also highlights that the UAE and KSA are seeing a rise in corporate travellers from India, France, USA, Egypt, Pakistan, Germany, UK, Russia and China.

In addition, requests for clean and hygienic 4/5 star hotels that provide PCR testing services have soared.

The travel sector generates more than 10 percent of global GDP and nearly 12 percent of the world's employment according to UNWTO. Musafir has also identified gaps in the travel ecosystem and are using their expertise in travel technology to work out an expense management tool that will be effective for corporations to save in unprecedented times.

Musafir.com recently enhanced its online booking platform, leveraging the latest advanced technology to offer a seamless experience to its customers and partners. Its technology platform gives organisations significant savings of up to 20 percent. The company also aims to expand its presence to four geographical locations by 2022 to meet growing travel demand.