Has Covid19 killed the business trip? Have we got so used to Zoom and its rivals that we won’t be hopping aboard planes in the future?
A new survey conducted by YouGov, which questioned 1,414 frequent business travellers across the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark, found this might be the case.
Four in ten said they will fly less often once travel restrictions are loosened with the number as high as 56% of respondents in the UK. As many as 5% said that was it and they wouldn’t be getting on board a plane for work anymore.
The main reason for the change of heart is the feeling that video conferencing has reached a level where it can effectively replace face-to-face meetings.
However environmental concerns are clearly playing a part as six in ten respondents said they would be willing to travel by rail instead if ticket prices are comparable.
Interestingly the French government is in the process of banning internal flights on routes that can be covered by train in two-and-a-half hours.
The survey also found that there was a level of support for governments to create legislation to ensure that the aviation industry decarbonised, with over half those who replied thinking this was a good idea.
