The decrease in business travel since 2019 is likely permanent, according to a new report from the Security Executive Council (SEC).

The SEC report, "Security State of the Industry: Travel Security," analyzed the current state of global travel security. One section of the report interviewed 25 security executives across the travel industry to determine important topics in the field. 

Decrease in business travel

Security executives in the travel industry expect that remote work will remain the most often-employed workforce environment for globally distributed organizations. The report projects that, even post COVID-19, business travel will likely see a 19% to 36% decrease. In addition, 91% of CEOs expect business travel to be less frequent.

Travel risk management spike

The report found that travel risk management may see a 9.1% increase, due to the priority of securing business travelers from health and safety-related threats.

Communication technology

Although remote work is expected to remain the norm in global organizations, security executives displayed a low level of certainty regarding the statement, "The substitution of business travel by technology is unavoidable." However, security leaders noted a high level of certainty about the statement, "Virtual interaction leads to a hybrid future in business." It remains unclear whether communication platforms are here to stay in business environments.

The SEC report also underlined top travel risks and travel security practices across the field. Click here for more report findings.