- October 2009
- Current Events
- Travel Tips
- Supplier News
- Regional
- International
- Government/Legislation
- Technology
- Industry Trends/Innovations
- Supplier Spotlight
- Spotlight on Leisure Offers
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Industry Trends/Innovations
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Smoking banned in some rental cars
Long banned from commercial airline flights, smoking is now also prohibited in some rental cars. Effective October 1, Avis and Budget became the first major rental-car companies to impose a fleet-wide smoking ban and will penalize customers who ignore the policy. Every vehicle in North America will carry a sticker alerting customers to the new rules.
The companies also have implemented an inspection process, and will levy a USD $250 cleaning fee for drivers who return a rental car that smells of smoke or shows other evidence of smoking.
"The No. 1 request we get is for a smoke-free car," says John Barrows, spokesman of the Avis Budget Group, the parent company.
Sources: USA Today, Peter Greenberg Worldwide
Study links business travel and revenue/profit growth
According to a study by Oxford Economics, a global research firm, a return of USD $15 to $19.99 is gained for every dollar invested in a company meeting; conference and trade shows yield about USD $4 to $5.99. And an incentive trip brings a return of more than four times the investment.
Additional findings show that businesses average USD $12.50 in increased revenue and USD $3.80 in new profits for every dollar spent on business travel. Roger Dow, president and CEO Of U.S. Travel Association, which commissioned the study said, “Business travel is economic stimulus.” The study found that the average U.S. business would forfeit 17 percent of its profits in the first year of eliminating business travel.
The Oxford Economics study surveyed several hundred business executives and analyzed data on 14 industries for the 13 years prior to 2009.
Sources: btnonline.com, usatoday.com
