For Sydney-based Harris, exhausting one-day treks to Melbourne or Brisbane - meaning four taxi rides, two flights, extended waits and the risk of delays - are no more after a pandemic-driven reassessment of his travel habits.
Corporate travel agency CWT said in global terms, the proportion of one-day domestic trips has fallen by more than 25% compared with 2019 levels as online meetings grow in popularity. "I think the trend away from one-day trips in favour of longer stays is here to stay as travellers become more environmentally and fiscally conscious," said Kapoor. "This could translate into a higher revenue per available room for hotels in the long run.
Ajit Chouhan, a Texas-based human resources executive, used to go on one-day business trips to San Francisco at least once a month before the pandemic. But now he uses Zoom or Microsoft Teams for shorter meetings, describing the online options as "convenient and more productive".