The summer is a prime time for travel of all kinds, and once again business travel news UK has been dominated by Brexit, hotel openings and well being issues.
Taking a look at some f the industry’s biggest trends affecting business travel news UK, here’s the latest developments in corporate travel this season.
Setting a new Standard
With domestic business travel on the rise, new hotels continue to launch in some of the busiest hubs.
One of the most anticipated has been The Standard in London, which opened its doors in July. There’s 266 rooms, a flashy restaurant and a bustling bar to enjoy. Following in the footsteps of its American outposts in New York and LA, it has a hip happening vibe. Based in the newly regenerated Kings Cross, it’s an ideal location for commuters, especially with the Eurostar on its doorstep. With rooms starting from £199, it bridges the gap between affordable luxury and modern design.
In other business travel news UK, budget chain Travelodge has just opened a hotel in Winchester and Letchworth Garden City. This is in response to the growing need for “working away from home during the week” offering travelers all the essentials at a low price.
Networking
Business travel news UK has largely been dominated by Brexit over the past year with no signs of slowing down. With a new Prime Minister and fresh eyes on a deal (or possibly a no-deal), the UK travel market is gearing up for leaving the EU on 31 October. To address some of the concerns around this, next month (19 September) ABTA is hosting a conference on a guide to VAT and TOMS in travel.
Meanwhile, as self-care remains high on the agenda, the Business Travel Conference (17-18 September) has a huge focus on well being this year.
Well being Matters
Speaking of well being, one of the challenges over the summer period is work absence.
In a recent study, the Well being index report found that over a third of HR departments thought their organisation didn’t do enough to prepare for employee’s holiday absence. As a result, nearly half of all employees experienced workplace stress.
Roomex also launched a guide on the topic of wellness in the workplace - with similar findings. Through our research, we found that over 70% of personal assistants are stressed at work. We also found a correlation between employee stress and the health of the business. Learn more by downloading our free guide below.
The findings also revealed that 11% of employees respond to work correspondence on holiday, and a further 17% spend their time worrying about work related issues.
To counteract this, we’re seeing more events with a focus on mental health and self-care this summer. One of these is the Happy Place Festival launched by Fearne Cotton. Fusing work issues with personal enlightenment, it highlights issues around getting better sleep and creative workshops amongst other ideas. Brands involved include Not on the High Street and Sweaty Betty and included talks from Russell Brand.
Planes and Trains
In positive business travel news UK, more transport options have been unveiled for business commuters in the coming months.
In the world of flying, British Airways has boosted services from Heathrow to Edinburgh starting from October. This will include three additional weekly flights, bringing the total up to 69. Glasgow will also see an increase of five more flights a week, and Aberdeen will benefit from three more services.
Furthermore, London Gatwick airport has just opened a facility exclusively for travelers arriving from the UK and Ireland. Available to domestic travelers only, it aims to improve the ease of travel with a fast route through the terminal. This is part of its £1.11 billion investment in its infrastructure to improve the customer experience.
For frequent train commuters, rail travel has just gotten easier with a new rail booking engine for London breaks via ukbreakaways.com. With live availability and seat reservations it should offer a smooth experience for travelers.
Finally, for commuters using the LNER line, the inter-city operator has just launched a new ‘LNER Assistant’. This aims to provide personalised alerts to passengers that book via its website. With instant notifications and live updates on disruption, travelers can stay up-to- date and better plan their journey with its Travel Buddy mobile app.
Shut Eye
Another pertinent issue in business travel news UK is the challenge of spending time away from home, and the toll this takes on employees.
Current research reveals that work travelers struggle to eat healthy, miss out on family time and work longer hours as a result of being away. The findings also revealed that business travelers lose an average of 45 minutes sleep each night when travelling on business. The results show that as many as four in five people have trouble sleeping when away from home.
As a result, hotel chain IHG is launching a pilot scheme to introduce ‘circadian lighting’. This is said to help improve sleep by using light intensity to mimic our daily cycle.
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