Demand for business tourism 'will grow within 6 months'
Business tourism will start to grow again within six months of the end of the recession, according to an industry insider.
Christophe Peymirat, vice president and managing director for UK at travel management firm Egencia, said that the first signs of recovery in the market have started to appear.
He said reports suggest a recovery in business tourism will take place in the second quarter of 2010.
Mr Peymirat added that when the rise in the demand for business tourism emerges, hotels and travel companies will need to continue to be competitive in their offerings.
"What will be consistent is the need for full transparency as businesses will want to continue maximising value in their travel programmes," he explained.
Recent research by Hilton Hotels found that 83 per cent of corporate executives still believe meetings are essential for developing personal relationships with clients.
According to the survey, half said that video conferencing and web-based meetings were a poor substitute for face-to-face interaction.