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The 4 biggest takeaways from the GBTA conference in Brussels

Aug 4, 2023
Business Travel
Two employees sitting at desk discussing Business Travel trends from GBTA
The annual GBTA conference is one of the biggest events in the business travel calendar. It brings together leaders from across Europe to discuss the most important trends in our industry.
Did you miss this year’s conference? Or do you just want an overview of the biggest topics? Well, we’ve got your back.
After attending this year’s event (and speaking to lots of experts at our booth), we’ve rounded up the biggest trends you need to know for 2023…

1. Employee comfort is more important than ever before

Since the rise of remote work, employees aren’t keen to travel to the office - never mind taking a lengthy business trip.
Travel managers are getting feedback that business trips are a hassle and employees are put off by the complexity. 
Ensuring that business travel is easy, seamless and comfortable is the key to winning employees over and boosting enthusiasm. 

2. Company cars are becoming less popular in Europe 

Have you noticed fewer companies offering company cars? Sure, there are jobs that will always need cars, like regional sales manager positions. But company cars as an employee benefit are on the decrease. 
A brand new survey that we presented at GBTA found that fleet managers and HR teams are planning to reduce the number of company cars they offer - and introduce new modes of transport.

3. Data is the new oil for business travel 

Business travel managers are investing in new technology to get better insights into their business trips. 
Many are expecting budgets to tighten next year - with fuel costs and inflation a major factor. But how can you reduce your budget, if you don’t know where you're overspending?
New technology means you can track trips in real time, measure and report CO2 emissions and get better insights into spend. If you want to create a smart business travel strategy for 2023, centralising and digitising your invoicing is key. With everything in one place, you can dig into your data to find fat to trim in your budget. 

4. Sustainability will be even bigger in 2023

Sustainability was a massive buzzword at this year’s conference. Travel managers across Europe are looking for new ways to reduce their CO2 emissions. 
Data shows most trips are less than 1.5 kilometres, so why are we all still using fossil-fuel-powered cars to make these short journeys?There’s a massive opportunity for travel managers to introduce alternative greener forms of transport and reduce their CO2. 
From eScooters to public transport - companies are looking at a range of exciting and eco-friendly ways to shrink their carbon footprint in 2023.