3 Emerging Business Trip Trends

As the world gets its balance back and employees start returning to work, one thing is clear – employees have missed human contact and personal interaction. We surveyed some of our travellers earlier this year, and 85% of clients expect their companies to retain a hybrid working model. Still, while virtual meetings and work from home models are here to stay, it is clear there is no substitute for face-to-face interaction. Business travel remains a critical part of business as it supports business networking opportunities and employees see this as a perk.

As business travellers are getting back on the road, we see three clear trip patterns emerging as they do:

1. The rise of “Bleisure and Flexcations”

A combination of Millennials and Generation Z make up around 50% of the workforce in 2021, and they consider travel as a key source of job satisfaction. With the workforce becoming younger, up to 49% of employees are likely to extend a business trip for a few leisure days as this allows them to enrich their lives and broaden their horizons.

“Flexcations” are also an emerging travel trend, where families rent vacation homes and stay away longer to mix work and play. Thirty-one of travellers surveyed are likely to continue remote working at the business trip destination by extending their stay.

Consider including Bleisure and Fexcation trips into your travel policy. This way, you can accommodate individual traveller choices while complying with company policies.

2. Alternate Accommodation

6 in 10 travellers would like to travel for work as frequently as they used to before the pandemic, but where they stay has shifted drastically. Business travellers are now more willing to stay in apartments, guesthouses, or hotels with a more homely feel rather than traditional chain hotels. With the rise in Fexcations, holiday rentals are gaining popularity for business trips, as are establishments situated close to leisure activities.

Successful hotel sourcing programmes will maximise savings while taking into consideration traveller safety and satisfaction.

3. Fewer trips, longer stays

Businesses are more focused on cost-saving and a commitment to sustainable travel than ever before. As a result, the need to travel is carefully considered, resulting in fewer trips that yield better business results. The average length of business trips has also increased, and 35% of travellers surveyed prefer fewer business trips of longer duration. It gives them the opportunity to have more productive meetings and reduces the strain of managing a jam-packed, time-stressed trip.

Ultimately travel remains an important business aspect for many companies today. Understanding your employee business travel trends will help you build a robust corporate travel program that improves employee engagement and retention, ultimately supporting your business growth.

Please speak to our experts about implementing a dynamic business travel policy that adjusts according to available options at the time of booking.