Looking to FY23 - A note from our General Manager

Keeley

The last few months have been truly rewarding for our team, helping our customers take their business to the world once again. We’re seeing a steady increase in bookings, with international air sales currently at 65 percent of pre-COVID volume.

The New Zealand government has scrapped most travel restrictions, including the recent removal of the pre-departure test requirement. This has boosted travel confidence across the board and made international travel more attractive for New Zealand businesses.

The entire travel industry – from airlines through to hotels - are busy recruiting and upscaling as quickly as possible to meet high demand, but this unfortunately can’t happen overnight.

In the meantime, the planning stage of your travel is more important than ever.

International airline capacity is currently at just under 40 per cent. There are fewer flight options and airfares are more expensive. This means, for the time being, last-minute trips to satellite offices or to sign a quick deal are not always possible, you do need to book in advance.

Additionally – we know the health and wellness of the traveller is the number one priority for business now. Considering business duty of care, creating a travel plan with health and safety considerations is crucial and something our travel managers are well equipped to help you navigate.

It’s pleasing to see the value our customers, old and new, are placing in our expert advice model during this time. This is particularly evident in the SME space where most of our new customers were previously DIY travel bookers and are now keen to work with us to simplify and enhance their travel experience. Encouragingly we have also seen a noticeable uplift in customers returning to travel, proving both business and travel confidence is on the rise.

Looking ahead – we are expecting airline capacity to reach roughly 70 per cent by the end of the year and as we move into 2023, there will be even more seat availability and subsequently more competitive prices.

As our focus moves away from the COVID-19 recovery, technology and sustainability will take a front seat.

Productivity is key in business. Our goal is to make travel as seamless and simple as possible for you and your team, so you can focus purely on the job at hand.

Innovation plays a big part in this, and we are continuously evolving our technology offerings. We look forward to sharing with you some of our new applications and features over the next year which will further simplify the process for you and add to your travel experience.

Sustainability – whether that be economic, social, or environmental is top of mind for many businesses, as it is with ours. We have some exciting projects in the pipeline that will help your business achieve your sustainability goals. Stay tuned for more on this in the coming months.

We are moving out of the limbo, which has been the last couple of years and into a new and exciting phase where corporate travel is back – we are collaborating in person once again and helping your business reach new heights domestically and across the globe. Here’s to a prosperous FY23!

Keeley Signature

Keeley Alton - General Manager, Corporate Traveller