While short-haul business travel is beginning to make a comeback in certain markets, pre-pandemic levels seem to be some way off and long-haul travel remains the furthest from reach, according to a survey of travel industry experts.

A poll of more than 400 C-suite and senior managerial level travel industry experts conducted by travel experiences, airport services and travel medical company Collinson and the Centre for Aviation (CAPA) reveals that just over a third (35 per cent) of respondents believe short-haul business travel will hit 41 to 60 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in 2022, while 23 per cent are more optimistic and expect to see a recovery of 61 to 80 per cent. Only 8 per cent predict next year will hit 80 per cent or more of 2019 levels.

Long-haul business travel recovery is expected to take longer than any other segment, with 86 per cent of survey respondents saying they believe 2022 will see less than two-thirds of the levels recorded in 2019. In the Asia-Pacific region, 30 per cent predict numbers won¡¯t even hit 20 per cent of 2019 levels.

The figures are slightly less optimistic than the findings of a recent report by the World Travel & Tourism Council and McKinsey & Company, which predicted business travel spend to reach two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022.

Todd Handcock, Asia-Pacific president for Collinson, said: ¡°For business travel, at this moment in time, it¡¯s about understanding and evolving travel risk management strategies by engaging the right professional support, especially with the newly published ISO31030 standard¡­¡±

Other findings of the survey include a slight increase in optimism about a 2023 recovery for the travel industry, with 37 per cent of respondents predicting a return to 2019 levels by that time ¨C up from 35 per cent in a similar survey conducted in April 2021.

Forty-three per cent of industry experts polled expect border re-opening arrangements by governments to ease or substantially ease next year, while 32 per cent predict these agreements will evolve at different rates throughout the year.

More than half (54 per cent) believe Covid-19 testing protocols will remain key to re-opening borders until the end of 2022, with a further 26 per cent expecting this to continue until the end of 2023. Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) agree that traveller vaccine documentation is of ¡®vital importance¡¯, and 38 per cent believe quarantine measures will remain in place for the foreseeable future as an added layer of protection in addition to vaccines and testing.

Seventy-four per cent of respondents said they are concerned by reports of fraudulent Covid-19 test results and vaccination passports.

Worryingly, 79 per cent of experts said they believe travel will feel ¡®more stressful¡¯ than before the pandemic.