Shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic brought global travel to a standstill, one thing became clear: Corporate travel would face a slower return than leisure, almost as surely as international would lag domestic. Although much remains to be seen, these predictions have largely borne out. US travel suppliers started seeing some relief in the first half of 2021. An extensive vaccine rollout and updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance designating travel as safe for vaccinated people have ushered in a return of domestic leisure travel. But corporate travel faces a slower return, due to a more complex set of considerations.

In this issue of CFO Insights, we’ll look at the timing and nature of business travel’s return, leveraging research conducted by Deloitte’s Consumer Industry Center. That research represents a survey of 150 executives with travel budget oversight and parallel interviews at companies with 2019 air spend averaging $123 million. In addition, using the Center’s “Why we fly matrix,” we’ll discuss the implications that tech replacement could have for travel over the longer term.

This publication was released by our US firm.

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