Some 78% of travel executives in large businesses say that cost saving is likely to be their top priority over the next 12 months, ahead of sustainability, a new study by Uber for Business has found.
According to the study, which was undertaken alongside London-based Stride Rides, the shift in priorities mirrors a fall in travel budgets, with half of respondents (50%) stating that they had seen their travel budgets cut by at least 10% this year, with just 9% reporting an increase.
Sustainability considerations
In recent years, Uber for Business noted, sustainability had gained in prominence among business travel executives, to the point where it was ranked almost on a par with cost savings. This year, however, cost savings have gained in importance.
As a result, spend visibility, cited by 33% of respondents, is a key priority, with 54% identifying ground transportation as being difficult to track.
That’s not to say, however, that business travel executives are turning their back on sustainability, however, with more than half (54%) saying they are actively tracking the carbon emissions generated from ground transportation, and around a quarter stating that they would be interested in tracking said emissions if it was possible to do so.
Cost saving
“As budgets have become tighter it’s not surprising that we’re seeing a renewed focus on cost saving and spend visibility,” commented Andrew Laughlan, head of enterprise UK, Uber for Business. “Companies need easy access to this data. To address this, we’ve ensured Uber for Business integrates with all the leading expense software vendors globally.”
“At the same time we mustn’t forget that more than half of travel managers still put sustainability down as a top priority. Corporate customers want to report regularly on emissions data and we now provide that as standard via the Uber for Business sustainability dashboard. If business travellers want to reduce their carbon footprint, it’s easy to select an Uber Electric when using the business ride booking app.” Read more here.
