After another turbulent year, we know it’s important to get the corporate housing industry back on its feet in 2022. But this reawakening will look slightly different this year as the pandemic continues to shape our priorities. The sector’s renewed focus on safety, revenge travel, and mobile offices will steer the corporate travel space as we move into the new year.
In light of this, here are our key predictions for 2022 and beyond:
Climate change is one of the most prevalent issues the sector currently faces. However, this doesn’t mean that travel should be off the cards, but rather it’s time for us to make considerations when it comes to Environmental Social Governance (ESG). Considering climate-resilient locations alongside the uptake of technology is the way forward. For instance, look at regions such as Scandinavia, that offer good water and food security, have rich biodiversity, and most importantly closely regulate environmental degradation. They are durable options for companies who are looking to align business needs with environmental considerations.
Data-driven booking processes are also now supporting those businesses who want to implement sustainability practices. For example, AltoVita is driving increased communication on ESG across the supply chain and distribution channels. By developing sustainability filter tools, clients and guests can now easily search for and book accommodation on the AltoVita platform which is more eco-friendly by finding housing that meets certain criteria and/or has sustainability certifications. Ultimately, travel won’t stop, but it’s down to us all to ensure that we’re making conscious decisions to best protect our planet. This will drive the new age of mobility.
The pandemic has taught us that safety is paramount. As we look to 2022, employers will give precedence to the safety and security of their employees, as employees and businesses are becoming more concerned with guest and home safety, and data protection. Prioritising safety will help reduce the chances of data loss or putting data at risk. Today, most data breaches and hacks come from staff unknowingly acting with negligence.
To meet these changing demands, corporate housing providers need to recognise that guests are now paying more attention to features they may have overlooked before to feel confident that their rental property is safe. To ensure you are providing your duty of care, hospitality operators need to be compliant across a variety of factors, including having a 24/7 customer line and support, room experience and safety amenities, high cleaning standards, and data protection. Safety and security compliance is essential but does not have to be expensive.
Throughout the year we’ve seen the rise of ‘revenge travel’. Despite the ongoing effects of the pandemic, the rollout of vaccines and the subsequent booster programs is a cause of optimism as we move into the new year, and with that comes the pent-up demand for corporate travel. Employee appetite for travel is quickly growing with many now looking to make up for lost time. Employee preferences have changed dramatically, as well as travel restrictions and requirements.
But, as we enter the new year, working from anywhere is still unsurprisingly popular as it offers employees both flexibility and choice. By offering greater flexibility on bookings and providing a more diverse range of accommodation to suit every type of traveller (such as serviced apartments, furnished homes, aparthotels, and co-living), corporate housing specialists can support the growing digital nomad community as well as employees looking to work from anywhere, in turn, allowing businesses to retain the best talent, too.
Corporate housing specialists can sufficiently support employees who are looking to work from anywhere by combining smart technology and security. By providing a diverse range of accommodations and flexibility on housing (as well as cancellations), the corporate housing industry is revolutionising access to alternative working environments and systems.