Operators’ quarterly investor reports for 1Q 2020 were filled with warning signs about the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. A temporary end to business travel, financial difficulties, business closures, rising unemployment, an increase in bad debt and the implications of a recession were all mentioned as concerns.

The crisis comes after what was a reasonably successful 2019. Indeed, many operators reversed negative revenue trends. The weighted average for business revenue growth increased from –0.6% worldwide in 2018 to 1.2% in 2019.1 However, operators expect that business revenue will decline significantly in 2020.

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