By : Nahla Ahmed – Adel Farig

While 96 percent of global business travelers are willing to travel for business over the next 12 months, addressing their demands for flexibility may prove essential for companies’ long-term success. This is according to new research commissioned by SAP Concur which highlights global business traveler enthusiasm to return to the road, while pointing to what companies are doing—and need to do—to ensure a productive return to responsible business travel.

Mark Cullen, Managing Director for Concur EMEA South says that in 2020, business travelers found the trip itself to be the most stressful stage of travel. “They reflected increased anxiety around safe travel during a global pandemic. The findings from this year’s survey suggest a return to pre-pandemic stress levels before, during, and after a business trip.”

He adds that employees now have expectations for their employer to protect their health and safety while traveling for business. “After a year of being grounded by events beyond their control, employees are ready to return to business travel, but on their own terms. The actions that companies take in the next 12 months could make or break their ability to acquire and retain valuable employees amid a competitive market for talent.”

With this in mind, Cullen lists key findings from the survey of 3,850 business travelers across 25 global markets and 700 travel managers in seven global markets:

Ninety-six percent of business travelers are willing to travel for business over the next 12 months, including 65 percent who are very willing. The majority—68 percent— say they are pushing for a return to business travel, while just 32 percent feel their company is requiring them to do so. Baby Boomers are most likely to push their employers for the return to business travel (74 percent).

However, four in five business travelers worry that unless they increase business travel this year, their professional and personal lives will suffer. Professional concerns include the ability to develop and maintain business connections (45 percent), making less money (38 percent), and not advancing in their career (33 percent). One in five (18 percent)—including 29 percent of Gen Z respondents—worry they could lose their job if they are unable to increase their business travel.

Personal reasons for business travel include making personal connections with customers and colleagues (54 percent), experiencing new places (52 percent), and taking a break from their everyday life (41 percent).  One in five global business travelers are looking forward to having the ability to dress up to go somewhere (19 percent), and one in 10 say that their partner wants them out of the house (11 percent)!