Bill Gates predicts half of all business travel won't return once COVID-19 is gone, report says
Meetings could continue taking place online even after the pandemic is over.
Bill Gates: Companies will have a "very high threshold" for traveling to conduct in-person meetings.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates predicts that half of all business travel won't return after the coronavirus pandemic ends and that people will also work far less often from a physical company office, Business Insider reported. Gates made the remarks Tuesday at The New York Times DealBook conference, BI said.
"My prediction would be that over 50% of business travel and over 30% of days in the office will go away," Gates reportedly said, adding that from now on, businesses will have a "very high threshold" for traveling to conduct in-person meetings.
Microsoft has already announced a permanent work-from-home policy for eligible employees, who can also choose from a hybrid model where they spend some days in the office. Twitter, Facebook and other tech companies have announced similar policies.
The Microsoft founder didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
It's also possible many tech conferences could stay in their online format, rather than hosting tens of thousands of people at a brick and mortar convention center.