But
it's not all grey skies for business travel. In a survey released
by the National Business Travel Association at the beginning of
October 2001, more than 70 percent of businesses anticipate a recovery
in business-related travel within the next three to six months.
However, the Travel Industry Association of America has implemented
Operation Restore Confidence as an attempt to stimulate an industry
with a drastically falling demand.
Riding
rails, burning rubber
For shorter distances, businesses have been turning to an old
standby - the train. Amtrak reported that in the month after the
September 11 attacks, ridership on its high-speed Acela train service
out of Washington, D.C., New York City, and Boston increased by
35 percent, with the trains selling out in many instances. In response,
Amtrak has been adding trains to its busiest routes to handle the
increase in business.
Meanwhile security has become a concern on trains as well as airplanes,
prompting calls for additional legislation to make ground travel
safer as well. On October 17, the Senate endorsed a $1.8 billion
aid package to increase security on Amtrak trains and at stations.
Some
business people are turning to the road when possible. The NBTA
survey showed that 65 percent of businesses planned to make greater
use of car rentals for short-haul trips. This trend has already
been in evidence in cities that are close to each other, such as
Boston and New York, a four-hour drive.
Digital
bits replacing handshakes
Those businesses who are especially skittish about traveling are
turning to video- and audioconferencing to keep in touch with clients,
prospects, and out-of-town audiences. In the NBTA research, 88 percent
of companies said they would increase their use of these technologies
to some extent.
But
experts caution businesses to be wary of accepting technology as
a permanent replacement for traditional meet-and-greets. Jack Burke,
president of Sound Marketing, is a vocal proponent of keeping face-to-face
meetings an essential part of business. "A lot of companies
are looking at videoconferencing and saying, 'Wow, we never have
to put anybody on a plane again,'" Burke said. "In a word,
bull." He continued, "Videoconferencing does have the
ability to enhance the level of communications. However, it cannot
replace the level of human touch in that relationship."
The
human touch
The telephone didn't replace meetings, and neither did email.
Proponents of video- and audioconferencing believe they will substitute
for some, but not all in-person interaction. "Each piece is
integral to the entire picture," Burke said. "Remove the
face-to-face meetings and you don't have a whole anymore."
Immediate
financial needs shouldn't be the only factor employers touch upon
when reviewing their travel program and budgets. Technology increases
worker productivity, but decreased face-to-face peer interaction
has been shown to diminish it drastically. Removed from the educational
atmosphere of conferences and trade shows, employees can become
listless and lacking in motivation. Burke believes one of the key
factors in keeping employees productive is keeping them motivated.
"When they are removed from the interaction with their peers,
the excitement and educational frenzy that occurs within the conference
setting, you're taking away one of the main motivation tools of
the trade," he said.
Many
agree that face-to-face meetings are a necessary component of successful
business relationships. "The higher up you go, the more the
need for the human relationship, because the human relationship
is what brings the uniqueness of the deal to the table," said
Burke. "It's the value that the salespeople bring to their
clients which makes the client willing to choose them over another
of the same cost."
- Regina M. Robo, Salary.com Contributor
