Many Business Travelers Staying at Home-Sharing Properties Unsupported By Travel Policy

Alexandria, VA (April 13, 2017) – Home-sharing properties are allowed in one out of every six travel polices (17 percent), according to a new study released today by the GBTA Foundation, the research and education arm of the Global Business Travel Association. However, more than double the number of business travelers are under the same impression (37 percent), meaning many travelers are booking and staying in properties unsupported by their travel policy – a serious duty of care issue.

The study, Home-Sharing and Travel Policies – A Shifting Landscape, conducted in partnership with AccorHotels also revealed many companies are making an effort to review home-sharing options before making a decision to include or exclude them from travel policies. At organizations deciding not to allow these options, two-thirds of travel professionals either looked at these options before deciding not to include them (52 percent) or are currently reviewing them (13 percent).

“A Travel professional must simultaneously balance his or her obligation to keep travelers safe with a need to make cost-effective decisions and select suppliers and services that foster productivity, while not compromising the well-being of the traveler,” said Kate Vasiloff, GBTA research director. “Allowing home-sharing services into a traveler program may not be the right option for every company, but it should be an informed decision.”

Travel Professionals Express Home-Sharing Concerns
Travel professionals are most worried about the safety and security of home-share properties (87 percent) as they have a responsibility to maintain duty of care for all travelers, compared to 55 percent who have this same concern for traditional hotels. Similarly, three in five (61 percent) travel professionals are very concerned about the unpredictability of home-share property conditions, while about half as many say the same about hotels (33 percent).

Concerns over financial policies and reservation stability are next in line after duty of care issues. Travel professionals expressed concerned about home-sharing properties having nonrefundable deposits (58 percent, compared to 44 percent for traditional hotels), canceling reservations at the last minute (51 percent, compared to 36 percent) and enforcing strict cancellation policies (44 percent, compared to 35 percent). Ancillary but important offerings to business travelers, like reliable Wi-Fi (33 percent), inflexibility with check-in and check-out (28 percent) and lack of amenities (18 percent), are less of a concern to travel professionals.

How Home-Sharing Companies Can Address Business Travel Concerns
Some home-sharing companies have begun tailoring their offerings to appeal to both concerns expressed by travel professionals and business traveler desires. This includes not allowing hosts listing their properties for business travel to cancel a reservation within seven days of check-in and requiring frequently-needed business travel essentials to be provided, like Wi-Fi, a laptop-friendly workspace and even an iron and hangers.

Two-thirds (61 percent) of travel professionals are very concerned about the current inability to collect traveler information during booking with home-shares. If home-sharing options were integrated into the GDS so traveler bookings could be tracked, one-half of travel managers (52 percent) say this would increase the likelihood of including these options in their travel policy.

Más información:
The report, Home-Sharing and Travel Policies – A Shifting Landscape, is available exclusively to GBTA members by clicking here and non-members may purchase the report through the GBTA Foundation by emailing [email protected] The GBTA Foundation will host a webinar, in partnership with AccorHotels, on April 18, 2017 at 2pm ET to explore current travel policies, concerns about home-sharing inclusion, and current traveler demand as well as other alternative models to traditional hotels. Register today: Home-sharing for Business Travel– A Shifting Landscape.

Methodology: The GBTA Foundation conducted an online survey of 147 travel professionals in the United States and Canada. The survey was fielded January 31 – February 10, 2017.

Acerca de la Fundación GBTA
La Fundación GBTA es la fundación de educación e investigación de la Asociación Global de Viajes de Negocios (GBTA), la principal organización comercial de viajes y reuniones de negocios del mundo con sede en el área de Washington, DC y operaciones en seis continentes. Colectivamente, los más de 9000 miembros de GBTA administran anualmente más de $345 mil millones de viajes de negocios globales y gastos de reuniones. GBTA proporciona a su creciente red de más de 28 000 profesionales de viajes y 125 000 contactos activos educación, eventos, investigación, defensa y medios de comunicación de primer nivel. La Fundación se estableció en 1997 para apoyar a los miembros de GBTA ya la industria en general. Como fundación líder en educación e investigación en la industria de viajes de negocios, la Fundación GBTA busca financiar iniciativas para promover la profesión de viajes de negocios. La Fundación GBTA es una organización sin fines de lucro 501(c)(3). Para obtener más información, consulte gbta.org y gbta.org/foundation.

ABOUT ACCORHOTELS
AccorHotels is a world-leading travel & lifestyle group and digital innovator offering unique experiences in more than 4,100 hotels, resorts and residences, as well as in over 3,000 of the finest private homes around the globe. Benefiting from dual expertise as an investor and operator through its HotelServices and HotelInvest divisions, AccorHotels operates in 95 countries. Its portfolio comprises internationally acclaimed luxury brands including Raffles, Sofitel Legend, SO Sofitel, Sofitel, Fairmont, onefinestay, MGallery by Sofitel, Pullman, and Swissôtel; as well as the popular midscale and boutique brands of 25hours, Novotel, Mercure, Mama Shelter and Adagio; the much-prized economy brands including JO&JOE, ibis, ibis Styles, ibis budget and the regional brands Grand Mercure, The Sebel and hotelF1. AccorHotels provides innovative end-to-end services across the entire traveler experience, notably through the recent acquisition of John Paul, world leader in concierge services.

With an unmatched collection of brands and rich history spanning close to five decades, AccorHotels, along with its global team of more than 240,000 dedicated women and men, has a purposeful and heartfelt mission: to make every guest Feel Welcome. Guests enjoy access to one of the world’s most rewarding hotel loyalty programs – Le Club AccorHotels.

AccorHotels is active in its local communities and committed to sustainable development and solidarity through PLANET 21, a comprehensive program that brings together employees, guests and partners to drive sustainable growth.

Accor SA is publicly listed with shares trading on the Euronext Paris exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and the OTC marketplace (Code: ACRFY) in the United States.

For more information and reservations visit accorhotels.group or accorhotels.com.
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CONTACTO:

Línea Colleen Gallagher, +1 703-236-1133, [email protected]