Corporate travel is likely to grow 10-15 percent in Asia this year

Hanoi (VNA) -- Corporate travel is likely to grow 10-15 percent in Asia this year
as business activities improve from last year's sharp falls, a major air ticketing
and reservations firm said on Feb. 23.

Singapore-based Abacus International said the recovery will be gradual because
most the austerity measures and travel policies implemented during the global
economic downturn are likely to remain.
"As businesses resume to the 'new normal', we should also see an upward adjustment
in travel budgets as business activities improve in a more thriving economic
climate," said Abacus vice-president for marketing Brett Henry was quoted by AFP
as saying.
"We are expecting to see a gradual 10-15 percent growth in corporate travel in
2010, especially in traditional corporate travel markets like Singapore ,
Malaysia and Hong Kong ,".
Business travel declined by 15-20 percent last year and the amount spent during
these trips dropped between 25 and 40 percent, Henry said.
Despite the downturn, overall bookings for Abacus shrank a narrower-than-expected
1.0 percent in 2009 from the year before, thanks to a pickup starting from the
second half.
Emerging markets in Central Asia as well as Nepal , Bangladesh and the
Republic of Korea are seen as key growth areas.
Abacus meanwhile said that the majority of Asian travel companies have yet to
catch up with the use of Facebook and other online social media tools in their
marketing strategies, along with mobile technology applications.-Enditem