Traveler wellbeing: Sleep well
This report explores the importance of sleep for business travelers and their interest in support measures offered by their employers and travel suppliers that could help boost traveler health.
Introduction
This is the third in a series of Insights reports on Traveler Wellbeing, which have been compiled by BCD Travel together with our Marketplace travel wellness partner Sanctifly, the global provider of healthy leisure and wellness alternatives for airport downtime. This report explores the importance of sleep for business travelers and their interest in support measures offered by their employers and travel suppliers that could help boost traveler health.
The Insights on Traveler Wellbeing combine data from both traveler and travel buyer wellbeing surveys conducted by BCD in 2022, as well as data compiled by Sanctifly.
Sanctifly provides access to over 3,500 premium airport activities, exclusive membership benefits, bespoke travel wellness content from industry experts and carefully curated healthy airport guides, all within one app. It aims to make traveler experience more pleasant and healthy. Members enjoy access to thousands of gym and pool locations worldwide to workout and energize, as well as luxury hotel gym, pool and spa facilities to boost traveler wellbeing.
Why sleep is important
Travelers find it difficult to rest properly on business trips
Sleep is one of basic human needs essential for our wellbeing. It is a chance for our bodies to rest, recover and restore after the day. For many frequent travelers, a good night’s sleep is not easy to achieve. They have to deal with unfamiliar surroundings, stressful schedules, and, of course, jet lag.
Jet lag is a temporary sleep problem that can affect anyone who quickly travels across multiple time zones. It occurs when our circadian rhythms, which signal to our body when to stay awake and when to fall asleep, are not synchronized with the current time zone. Unfortunately, jet lag is not just about feeling “off” for a couple of days. In reality, it is a large problem with significant financial and human costs such as reduced productivity, lower performance and compromised safety. Jet lag can lead to a weakened immune system and long-term health implications. And as reported by business travelers, physical health is the second most significant factor impacting their travel arrangements, after the needs of their spouse or partner.
Despite the importance of proper sleep and recovery, only a quarter of business travelers manage to sleep well regularly when traveling. Half report sometimes managing to do so, and 2 in 10 rarely sleep well away from home. By improving this situation, employers could benefit from happier and healthier employees.
Source: Travel Wellness Guide by Sanctifly, Traveler Wellbeing Survey by BCD Travel, Feb. 2022
How to get enough of sleep on a trip
Wellbeing support measures offered by employers could improve travelers’ rest
According to BCD’s Traveler Wellbeing Survey, a lack of sleep and a jet lag were named among major traveler concerns while on a business trip by 36% of survey respondents. For 1 in 5, jet lag represents one of their major post-trip stressors.
Traveling employees appreciate wellbeing support from their employers that boosts traveler health and spirit. Sleep and recovery advice is valuable for 4 in 10 travelers and many respondents would like to see more work-life balance support measures in place that indirectly influence employees’ rest and sleep patterns. Thus, half of the survey respondents would like to receive additional time off work to compensate for travel outside worktime. 4 in 10 value time off while traveling. Every fifth traveler supports limits to the number of business trips and their length, considering this would positively influence their overall wellbeing.
However, the support measures currently offered by employers fall far short of demand. Only 1 in 5 travel buyers offer sleep and recovery advice, extra time off to compensate for travel out of working hours and limitations to frequency and length of trips. Less than 10% report having policies that foresee extra time off while traveling or time off after long trips.
In addition to support measures by employers, travelers outline suppliers’ amenities that improve wellbeing letting them get high quality rest away from home. When traveling by air, spacious seats, comfortable temperature on board, as well as blankets and pillows are among the top three amenities contributing to travelers’ comfort and relaxation. Privacy is also valued by business travelers.
In a hotel room, temperature, soundproofing and ventilation are of primary importance to travelers’ wellbeing, as mentioned by two thirds. These are key factors when it comes to quality rest. 4 in 10 need blackout windows to be able to sleep well.
Source: Traveler Wellbeing Survey by BCD Travel, Feb. 2022; Travel Buyer Wellbeing Survey by BCD Travel, March 2022
Mobile apps to sleep well
Technology could be of great help to combat jet lag and maintain healthy sleep
Technology could help travelers improve their wellbeing on the road. Currently, 58% of business travelers use various apps for wellbeing. Three quarters are likely to apply support tools and services for physical health, if the latter are provided by the employer. Meanwhile, only 27% of employers provide access to apps for wellbeing, either reimbursing for paid apps or subscriptions or recommending free apps aimed at improving traveler health and comfort.
The apps assisting travelers to overcome difficulties related to healthy sleep in a new surrounding represent the least popularcategory among various apps for wellbeing. Also, this holds true for apps that help combat jetlag, as among business travelers, only 2% currently use them. The interest, however, is high: A third would like to use this technological support. On the supply side, 14% of travel buyers offer such solutions and 38% would like to start offering these apps.
Mobile apps that contribute to a healthy sleep are slightly more popular. A quarter of the respondents presently use those and almost half would like to do so. Meanwhile, 18% of employees offer these solutions today and a third would like to do so in the future. There’s high potential for providers of healthy sleep advice to partner with the companies who care about wellbeing of their travelers.
Traveler interest in sleeping facilities
Travelers show demand for airport facilities to disconnect and rest
Our Marketplace partner Sanctifly offers travelers a choice of airport activities to boost their personal wellbeing. These activities may require anything between one and six hours or more depending on the needs of clients and the free time at their disposal, as they are usually practiced either before a flight or inbetween connecting flights.
All the activities can be classified by mood which reflects traveler interests. Here are six major categories of mood and the corresponding services available to book through a Sanctifly app:
Relaxation: airport lounge options
Replenish: cafes, restaurants, shops with fresh food
Energize: shower amenities and walks
Wellness: gym, pool, spa and massage options
Fitness: gym, pool, runs and walks
Sanctuary: quiet places to disconnect, such as lounges and hotel spaces
Sanctuary is the category of traveler services that includes various sleep and relaxation options, day rooms, lounges and sleep pods among them. In the last six months (Oct. 6, 2022 – April 4, 2023), these facilities were searched by every tenth traveler at various airports and hotels nearby. The popularity of this category grew a lot during the pandemic.
Additionally, Sanctifly partners with Timeshifter® to give science-based suggestions on how to overcome jet lag by optimizing sleep, alertness, health and quality of life.
Getting proper sleep is the holy grail of every traveler. Even 15 minutes on the plane or at the airport can be restorative. I always pack a light weight hoodie, a good eyemask and earplugs. Use the Sanctuary option in the Sanctifly app to identify quite zones at the airport and tune in to the relaxing mediation sessions on the video tab.
Karl Llewellyn, Founder, Sanctifly
Source: data by Sanctifly
Visit the BCD Marketplace to learn more about Sanctifly.
