Musafir data reveals corporate travel back to 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels

Musafir data reveals corporate travel back to 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels

Musafir estimates travel demand to grow in 2022, bouncing back to 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels. The company is optimistic about the tourism industry and corporate travel - seeing a gradual rise in demand; driven by increased traveller confidence, preference to personal interaction, vaccinations and the easing of entry restrictions in many destinations.

Findings gathered from Musafir’s platform indicates that organisations do not plan to limit their business travel as they realise the value of face-to-face interaction and to ensure longevity of business relationships. On average, SMEs in the UAE spent an approx. AED 250K annually (2019) on business travel.

The findings reveal that businesses are taking a conservative approach by increasing the frequency of travel and limiting the stay per trip to an average 1 - 3 days. Riyadh, London, New York, San Francisco and Mumbai are key destinations for UAE corporate travellers, with conferences and trade shows accounting for a significant volume of business trips in addition to other meetings. Data also highlights that the UAE and KSA are seeing a rise in corporate travellers from India, France, USA, Egypt, Pakistan, Germany, UK, Russia and China.