Business travel represents a substantial force in the global economy. Just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, it contributed to more than USD 1.2 trillion, about 25 percent of the travel and tourism sector’s overall economic impact, to the global GDP. Businesses had resumed spending on travel after substantial declines in 2008 and 2009.

A research by Global Business Travel Association Foundation had found that for every one percent change in business travel spending, the US economy typically gains or loses 74,000 jobs, USD 5.5 billion in GDP, USD 3.3 billion in wages and USD 1.3 billion in taxes. The report also stated that personal vehicle (35 percent) was the most popular mode of transportation among US business travellers in 2016, followed by airplane (28 percent) and rental cars (13 percent).

Internal travel encompasses trips taken for intracompany purposes, where employees participate in activities such as training, team building or inspection of field operations. External travel, on the other hand, refers to travel done by employees for engagements outside the company, including in-person meetings with clients and suppliers, trade conferences and customer sales calls.

"Obstacles to business travel, such as cumbersome visa protocols and long flight connections, constrain access to knowhow and limit growth opportunities, especially in developing countries," said Frank Neffke, research director at Harvard Kennedy School’s Growth Lab.

Benefits Of Business Travel

In the past, companies have experienced that, on average, 40 percent of customers would eventually be lost without in-person meetings and support.

Detailed statistical modelling over 18 years and 14 industries indicates that for every dollar invested in business travel, US companies make a USD 9.50 return in terms of revenue. The modelling also found that US business travel has yielded USD 2.90 in profits for every dollar spent.

There is a small segment of employees for whom travel is deemed essential for conducting business. This category accounted for around 15 percent of all corporate travel expenses in 2019 and includes decision makers in manufacturing companies with a wide distribution of factories and plants, and field-operation workers. For some corporate travellers, it is possible to move oversight responsibility to local personnel and/or utilise digital medium. This segment will see their business travel decline. A large segment of business travel is done to cultivate new or important client relationships. This segment will bounce back as soon as Covid-related restrictions are lifted.

A tiny portion of business travel comes from the public sector, professional associations and nonprofits. During the pandemic, many professional associations were able to hold virtual events to replace in-person conferences and will likely be more cautious in their return to travel.

Business Travel Catches The Virus!

Business travel has taken a big hit during the Covid-19 pandemic and its future is still up-in-the-air, waiting for the end of the pandemic and firming up the ‘New Normal’. In 2020, total global business travel expenses contracted by 52 percent, while managed corporate-travel spending in the United States alone plummeted by USD 94 billion (71 percent).

The World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) latest annual research shows that the global travel and tourism sector suffered a loss of almost USD 4.5 trillion to reach USD 4.7 trillion in 2020, with its contribution to GDP dropping by a staggering 49.1 percent compared to 2019. In 2020, sixty-two million jobs were lost, representing a drop of 18.5 percent, leaving just 272 million employed across this sector globally, compared to 334 million in 2019. The threat of job losses persists as many jobs are currently supported by government retention schemes and reduced hours, which could be lost without a full recovery of the travel and tourism sector.

Some business travellers expect to take at least as many business trips in 2022 as they had in the year before the Covid-19 pandemic was declared. While teleconferencing will reduce the need for some business travel, many survey respondents cited the need to meet in-person to rekindle relationships with customers, suppliers and business partners. Another frequent reason cited for the need to travel for business was a job change.

The countries most eager to travel for business once Covid-19 travel restrictions are lifted seem to be China, US and Australia. Of course, the potential increase in Covid cases from the Delta and future variants of the virus may still cause further backsliding on rising confidence levels for resumption of business travel. (TT)

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The JK Tyre - WIAA Women's Car Rally to Valley 2026 took off on 28 March from NSCI, Mumbai, with a flag-off ceremony led by Western India Automobile Association (WIAA) Chairman Nitin Dossa and JK Tyre officials. Over 200 women participated, decorating their vehicles around themes like cancer awareness, gender equality and women’s empowerment before driving towards the Novotel Imagicaa hotel in Khopoli.

Families and supporters gathered at the start, creating a festival-like mood as participants wore themed attire. The rally follows a Time-Speed-Distance format, rewarding precision and teamwork over speed, with contestants navigating hilly roads for about 125 kilometres to the finish.

Organised by the 107-year-old non-profit Western India Automobile Association, which advocates for safe mobility, road safety, environmental sustainability and policy change, the event has become a platform celebrating womanhood and resilience. This year’s edition reinforced the global road safety messages of #CommitToLife and #BeSafeBeStrong.

JK Tyre has long supported women in motorsport through dedicated initiatives, and its continued partnership with the WIAA Women’s Car Rally reflects a belief that motorsport can drive meaningful change both on and off the road.

Srinivasu Allaphan, Director – Sales & Marketing, JK Tyre & Industries, said, “For over a decade, we have been committed to encouraging women’s participation in motorsport, and the JK Tyre–WIAA Women’s Car Rally to Valley stands as a testament to that vision. Now a marquee event, the rally celebrates the spirit of motorsport while championing important social causes. We are encouraged by the strong enthusiasm of the participants as we continue to build greater awareness around road safety.”

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Scandinavian Enviro Systems AB (publ) has announced that its representatives on the Board of Directors of the joint venture entity, Infiniteria Europe Sàrl, namely Ewa Björling and Fredrik Aaben, have made the decision to vacate their respective director positions. This move follows prior communications from Enviro regarding a broader strategic shift in its relationship with the joint venture.

Earlier, Enviro had already disclosed that it was initiating a corporate reorganisation process, which included the termination of the various agreements that had previously defined and governed the working relationship and collaborative framework between Enviro and Infiniteria. This fundamental restructuring of their partnership set the stage for further complications, as disagreements began to surface between Enviro’s board members and the other directors serving on the Infiniteria board.

Specifically, the differing viewpoints between these two groups centred on critical matters related to corporate governance standards and the internal functioning of the board itself. Due to the emergence of these unresolved conflicts, combined with the ongoing dissolution of their formal cooperation agreements, Björling and Aaben concluded that stepping down from Infiniteria’s board of directors was the necessary course of action, leading to their formal resignations.

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MESNAC played a central role at the 2026 China Rubber Annual Conference, held in Qingdao from 24 to 27 March by the China Rubber Industry Association. On March 24, the Enlarged Meeting of the Rubber Machinery and Molds Branch took place, gathering key figures such as Deputy Secretary-General Zhu Hong, Branch Secretary-General Jiang Xin and Branch Chairman Guan Bingzheng, who also serves as MESNAC’s Chairman and President. Representatives from leading enterprises and governing units discussed the industry’s 2025 performance, ongoing difficulties and 2026 trends. The session was hosted by Zhou Chuanhai, General Manager of MESNAC Union Technology Co., Ltd.

Bingzheng pointed out that the rubber machinery and moulds industry managed to achieve positive overall growth in 2025 despite facing numerous difficulties. Rubber machinery exports rose notably even under adverse conditions, while the mould sector continued its gradual upward climb. He also noted that the industry has moved away from simply pursuing larger scale and is now prioritising higher quality and better performance.

With 2026 marking the start of the 15th Five Year Plan period, which is crucial for turning China from a large rubber producer into a powerful rubber nation, he laid out three main directions. One is embracing green practices, smart technology and global market expansion. Another is keeping pace with tyre manufacturers moving overseas to enable shared global growth. The third is focusing on new energy tire needs and artificial intelligence upgrades to push the industry towards high end transformation.

On March 26, at a forum themed Digital Empowerment and Green Development, MESNAC Vice President Yang Huili demonstrated how artificial intelligence is deeply applied in rubber tyre making. She described an intelligent system that forms a continuous loop from sensing in real time and learning on its own to making smart decisions and carrying out closed loop actions. It applies industrial vision for accurate measurement with very few missed defects, uses MCC software to merge process data and correct within milliseconds and employs large models for maintenance that quickly locate faults with high precision to enable predictive repairs. Through both strategic leadership and hands on technical demonstration, MESNAC showed its dedication to advancing the industry under changing conditions.

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The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has officially launched its 2026 Goodyear Blimp Europe tour, returning the iconic airship to the skies above European motorsport events. This marks a highly anticipated comeback for one of aviation’s most famous aircraft, which will first appear during the opening FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) race of the season. Spectators at the track can expect a breathtaking sight as the blimp soars overhead, enhancing the atmosphere of race weekend.

For decades, the Goodyear Blimp has been closely linked with legendary sporting moments and stands as a proud emblem of Goodyear’s racing heritage. Its planned flights over FIA WEC races will allow both live attendees and global viewers to catch a glimpse of the airship capturing stunning aerial footage. This tour takes on added significance as Goodyear celebrates 75 years of operations in Luxembourg, a milestone year for the company in Europe. Beyond tyre production, Luxembourg hosts Goodyear’s only Innovation Centre outside United States, where cutting edge technologies and motorsport partnerships are developed.

Fans attending select FIA World Endurance Championship events across Europe throughout the 2026 season are encouraged to watch the skies for the blimp’s appearances. The tour not only highlights Goodyear’s deep roots in racing but also underscores its longstanding commitment to European innovation and manufacturing excellence.

Jan-Piet van Kesteren, Managing Director EMEA & Chief Sales Officer EMEA Consumer, said, “The Goodyear Blimp is one of the most iconic symbols in racing. Seeing it fly above in the skies of several main FIA WEC races is always a special moment for fans. We are excited to bring the Goodyear Blimp back to European skies and share that experience with racing audiences across the region.”

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