Business trips are not what they used to be. “Workcations,” thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic creating more remote work opportunities, are popular now as employees vacation with their laptops and spreadsheets.
According to The Work Shift, American and United Airlines returned to profitability in July 2022, Airbnb bookings hit a new record, and hotel spending increased this summer.
The Work Shift reports that industry forecasts predict business travel might return to pre-pandemic levels in early 2023. However, other forecasts do not see business trips happening until 2026 because of economic uncertainty in the United States.
Demand for leisure travel continues with more than half of Americans planning to travel Labor Day weekend.
Nearly 25 percent of job postings at the largest companies in the U.S. and Canada were for remote positions in the first quarter of this year, according to Market Watch. This is a 4 percent increase from before the pandemic.
Market Watch reports that “bleisure,” the blurred line between business and personal travel, has the potential to change the travel industry. Remote workers are able to take longer trips during holidays, which takes the peak out of peak travel dates.
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Rebecca Barnabi
