Travel buyers facing challenges with online booking tools as business travel resumes at scale

5 October, 2022

New research from the Institute of Travel Management (ITM) has revealed that most travel buyer members are facing challenges with their chosen online booking tools as business travel resumes at scale.

Furthermore, the findings highlight there is clear concern regarding the capabilities of online booking tools to meet the needs of travel managers and travellers now and in the future.

The ITM survey of buyer members, travel managers and heads of travel found that almost half (45%) stated that their existing online booking tool (OBT) is not 'fit for purpose' in the current environment.

This figure rose to 57% in the mid- to long-term.

A high proportion of respondents (75%) felt that their current OBT provider is not listening to their needs.

A similar number of buyers voiced a high level of dissatisfaction with the proactiveness of their current OBT supplier to offer solutions that are important to them; and 70% were very or somewhat dissatisfied with responsiveness to requests.

Mixed feedback on policy configuration capability, user friendliness, sustainability and traveller wellbeing

The majority of ITM's research audience (90%) were satisfied with their OBT's policy configuration capability, and user friendliness also largely met with satisfaction (80%).

However functionality around sustainability and traveller wellbeing still needs improvement with respondents expressing dissatisfaction (50% and 45% respectively).

The key factors when selecting an OBT

The top three factors rated as most important by respondents when selecting an OBT were found to be proactiveness with solutions, responsiveness to requests, and offline support, according to the research.

Meanwhile, the top three factors rated as most important when selecting an OBT based on functionality were found to be user friendly experience, policy configuration capability, reporting and data analytics including sustainability.

Satisfaction with air; dissatisfaction with rail;

In terms of content, most respondents (75%), reports ITM, were satisfied with basic air single/return, and accommodation.

However, rail content is less satisfactory - 45% were dissatisfied with UK rail content and 75% were dissatisfied with EU rail content.

NDC heads buyer OBT wish-list but there is work still to be done with content

In terms of NDC, only 25% were satisfied with the level of content provided.

The top five items on buyers' OBT wish-list are: full NDC content; user-friendly interface/experience; EU/UK rail integration; better CO2 information (by aircraft cabin, hotels, comparison of air to rail); sustainability aspects/reporting.

Despite concerns, buyers do not plan to change OBT

Despite buyers current concerns, the majority (75%) do not plan to change their OBT in the next 12 months. The reasons mentioned in the ITM research varied from contractual obligations, recent appointment of current provider and limited internal resources to facilitate change.

The reasons cited by those buyers looking to change provider included 'change driven by fact that existing OBT is far behind other products'; 'need dynamic OBT that listens to customers and has influence over development pipelines'; and 'RFP due'

Research driven by 'buyer sentiment and mutual concerns' over OBTs

ITM decided to field the survey after insights from ITM buyer knowledge exchange sessions in recent months laid bare buyer sentiment and mutual concerns about OBTs, regardless of provider.

Over 60 ITM buyer members, travel managers and heads of travel, with a mix of global, EMEA, UK and Ireland responsibilities, and who use a broad range of OBT providers, completed the survey between late Jul-2022 and the middle of Aug-2022.

ITM says it plans to share the report with OBT providers, thus enabling them to use the data to support development roadmaps and elevate their offering to address buyers' concerns.

As travel resumes at scale the online booking tool is 'more critical than ever'

As travel resumes at scale and buyers look to support their TMCs' resource challenges, Scott Davies, CEO, ITM, says "it could be argued that the online booking tool is more critical than ever".

Yet during numerous conversations with ITM's buyer members, he reveals it has became evident that for many there are challenges with OBTs "being able to deliver on today's post-pandemic needs for both the travel manager and the traveller".