Released on = February 23, 2006, 5:41 am

Press Release Author = Michael Hanna

Industry = Financial

Press Release Summary = Changes in the global economy will have the biggest impact
on business travellers in the next decade according to new research out today from
Barclaycard Business.


Press Release Body = The research reveals that long haul air and rail services will
see the most growth with business travel to global destinations expected to
increase. Distance travelled per week will increase to approximately 700 miles per
person, compared to 609 miles currently. In addition business people will on average
spend an extra night away from home each month, up from 4.1 nights in 2005/6 to 5.2
nights in 2015.

The tenth anniversary results of the annual Barclaycard Business Travel Survey
reveals that whilst distances travelled for business travel are predicted to
increase, growth will be seen at a slower rate than the 32% increase seen between
1996/7 and 2005/6.

Meanwhile, individual days away for business per week will decrease to 2.0 in 2015,
from 2.4 in 2005/6. This can largely be out down to the increasing role of
technology. The use of video conferencing, for example, is expected to be used by
50% of workers by 2015, compared to 26% currently.

Tim Carlier of Barclaycard Business comments, "These trends have significant
implications for the business travel industry. Long distance travel providers will
need to respond to the increasingly demanding business traveller who is travelling
further distances for longer periods of time. Furthermore, the decline in shorter
journeys may provide a challenge for the industry to consider other ways in which to
grow business."

Air travel
With long haul travel increasing, the number of flights taken per business traveller
will increase by 12% from 7.6 flights per year in 2005/6 to 8.5 flights in 2015. Low
cost air travel is predicted to be near saturation point and will therefore level
off, with 74% of business travellers expected to use these services in 2015, no
change from 2005/6.

Rail travel
Conversely, the number of business travellers regularly using trains is predicted to
decrease from 34% in 2005/6 to 25% in 2015. However, there may well be growth
opportunities for long distance rail travel providers.

Improved services
As journeys become longer, the desire for improved services and better working
conditions will rise. It is predicted there will be an increase in:

Preference for electronic check in procedures 2005 - 23% 2015 - 90%
Preference for online booking 2005 - 37% 2015 - 70%
Business class air travel 2005 - 25% 2015 - 33%
Premium class rail travel 2005 - 22% 2015 - 25%

Snapshot of business travel in 2005/6
Nearly half (45%) of business travellers say they are travelling for business more
in 2005/6 than they were in 2004/5. In contrast, actual miles travelled per month
have decreased from 642 in 2004/5 to 608.5 in 2005/6.
The main reason given for the increase in business travel is business expansion,
both overseas (33%) and in the UK (18%). Of those who say they are travelling less,
25% put this down to technology reducing the need.

Trade in the UK is already becoming more global, affected not only by new countries
such as Poland joining the EU but also by the opening up of economies such as China.
The top three business destinations over the last twelve months were:
UK and Ireland (75%)
Western Europe (56%)
US and Canada (23%)

However, Asia Pacific (10%), Eastern Europe (10%), China (7%) and Africa (4%) were
also cited.

The 2005/6 business traveller
The typical male business traveller is aged between 41 and 65 and is married with
children. He has a managerial position in a company with a turnover in excess of £5m
but less than £20m. He will travel for business 2.5 days per week, is away on
business for 4.3 nights a month and will cover 662 miles each week.

The typical female business traveller is married, younger in age (31 - 40 years) and
is less likely to have children than her male counterpart. She travels for business
2.2 days per week, is away on business for 3.8 nights a month and will cover 335
miles each week.

Notes to editors:
The tenth annual Barclaycard Business Travel Survey, conducted in October 2005,
amongst a nationwide sample of Barclaycard Business\' 565,000 commercial card
holders, questioned 2,500 respondents (CEOs, company directors, managers and
executives), about all aspects of business travel from airlines and hotels to online
bookings.

Business travel forecasting to 2015 has been carried out by the Future Foundation,
using their own in-house data and Barclaycard Business travel survey data, dating
back to when the survey began.

Barclaycard Business is the UK\'s leading issuer of Visa commercial cards with over
152,000 corporate customers and over 565,000 cardholders. Barclaycard Business
services businesses of all sizes from multi-national companies and Government
departments to small and medium enterprises.

Barclaycard Business commercial cards allow simple, cost-effective management of
business travel expenditure and frees staff from the paperwork often associated with
expenses. They enable businesses to pay for travel expenses such as airline
tickets, car hire, hotels, restaurants and petrol, and provide a range of
added-value services.

A member of Visa, Barclaycard Business cards are welcome at more than 800,000 places
in the UK and 24 million worldwide.

Barclaycard Business is also one of Europe\'s largest acquirers and processors of
plastic card transactions. In 2005, 1.8 billion purchases were made with credit and
debit cards through 192,000 Barclaycard Business\' customer outlets in the UK.

About Barclaycard
Barclaycard (http://www.barclaycard.co.uk ) is a multi-brand credit card and
consumer lending business. It is one of Europe's leading credit card businesses and
has an increasing international presence.
In the UK, Barclaycard includes all Barclaycard branded credit cards and loans,
Barclays loans, the FirstPlus secured lending business, Monument cards and loans and
the retail finance business Clydesdale Financial Services.

For more information visit http://www.barclaycard.co.uk

Web Site = http://www.barclaycard.co.uk

Contact Details = Author:
Michael Hanna

About Michael
Michael is a keen writer, and internet marketer living in Scotland:

Contact details:
E-mail: samqam@googlemail.com
Phone: 0131 561 2251

Michael\'s Website: