Rise in business travel in 2010. - Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), the world leader in business travel is delighted with the recovery in business travel this year, following last year's slowdown due to the economic crisis. CWT witnessed a 16.6% increase in business travel in the first half of 2010 and achieved a sales figure of $12.3 billion. The greatest gains in traffic were made in Latin America (+48.1 %) and Asia Pacific (+43.5 %). In North America, traffic increased 18.2 %, while EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) showed lower growth (+7.7 %), reflecting slower economic recovery in the region. The group handled nearly 29.4 million transactions in hotels and transport during the first six months of this year, a 13.2 % increase compared to the same year-earlier period. The recovery was less strong in meetings and events management but the overall observation is, nonetheless, positive. In Europe for example, clients are organising 30 % of their meetings outside their home country, compared to 20 % one year ago. The most popular destinations are Barcelona, Madrid, Nice, Paris and Rome. Average spend per participant per day is now at €175 versus €150 last year. Cancellations are down from 15 % to 10 %. The president of CWT, Douglas Anderson, was pleased with the recovery in business travel management, even though figures have still not reached the level registered in 2008. Aware that the recovery will be accompanied by new and stricter corporate operational models, Anderson underlined that CWT is more committed than ever to providing efficient and innovative solutions that complement clients' business strategies. CWT has observed that its clients are seeking to maximise the business trips they make because they are aware that travelling abroad is necessary to their businesses. At the same time they are also eager to optimise savings and make their journeys as profitable as possible. The increasing use of teleconferencing is another phenomenon that has grown since the crisis, as well as developments in new technology: American Express Voyages d'Affaires France has estimated that between 10 and 15% of business travelling has now been replaced by teleconferencing equipment. (I.L./transl.fl)