As today’s European business executive puts in more hours on the road and in the air, American Express Business Travel’s released its ‘Loves and Hates’ Survey 2007 to give an insight into their…
As today’s European business executive puts in more hours on the road and in the air, American Express Business Travel’s released its ‘Loves and Hates’ Survey 2007 to give an insight into their corporate travel preferences.
The 21st Century Business Traveller
The Survey, part one of which launched ahead of London’s Business Travel Show on the 13th February, has identified a new, modern business traveler. These road warriors view business travel as being more closely aligned to professional and personal development, such as the opportunity to experience different cultures, than status, and a good night’s sleep and on-time flight as more important than the latest gadgets and amenity conveniences. The findings come from a survey of 500 European business travellers, conducted by independent research company Loudhouse.
Reliability, Safety, Security
When booking a business trip, the top three considerations overall are:
- Reliability (99%)
- Safety (96%)
- Airline security (94%)
All of which create a clear picture of a 21st century traveller keen to reduce risk, and increase their sense of control.
And when considering the relative importance of these and other considerations, interestingly “Cost” fell to sixth on their “Top Six” list.
“While the needs of business travellers can be extremely diverse and ever changing, something which comes out loud and clear is the importance of reliability, safety and security,” said David Herrick, Senior Vice President, American Express Business Travel Europe. “Time is often of the essence for today’s business traveller, so they need to be sure their travel arrangements run smoothly and to time – a late arrival could mean a missed business opportunity.”
“In today’s environment, it’s hardly surprising that safety and security are so high on the list of considerations. In the past few years, we’ve seen an increasing interest in safety and security suites, such as traveller tracking in crisis situations, and to the individual traveller this criteria comes well above flexibility in travel arrangements and cost.”
Craving Culture
The ‘Loves and Hates’ survey also revealed that the days when business travel associated with status, and the preserve of jet-setting executives, is a thing of the past. Today business travel is commonplace and even senior executives will often be subject to strict company policies. This is possibly one of the reasons why only 14% said they consider status to be a positive aspect of business travel.
For three-quarters of business travellers, the most alluring aspect of business travel is the fact that it makes the job more interesting. In addition to this, business travellers enjoy meeting new people and building new relationships (70%) as well as experiencing different cultures (64%).
Herrick added; “There will always be a core of business travellers for whom status is paramount and who will do so-called ‘mileage runs’ in order to keep or upgrade their frequent flyer status with an airline. However, it’s interesting to note the emergence of the culture hungry traveller, who not only values travel as an enhancement of their working life but also craves the cultural experiences and understanding – something which can sometimes prove invaluable in our global business environment.”
Enhancing the Stay
When asked how the experience could be enhanced during business trips, 26% rated having a partner or family member(s) with them as the top desire.
Other important factors with regards to accommodation were in the fields of information and equipment provision; with 20% stating that knowing the best places to go and having a fully equipped business centre are the best ways to enrich their stay.
Dirty bathrooms rated as the number one dislike with 66% putting it at the top of the list, closely followed by having an uncomfortable bed and bad odours (both 63%). However, a lack of hotel facilities, such as a gym, featured well down the list with only 27% of travelers being affected by this and only 6% opting for an in-room gym when asked how their hotel stay could be enhanced. In-room entertainment also lagged behind and was found to only have appeal for 18% of respondents. It appears that today’s business traveller, who often has hectic work schedules, ultimately craves a comfy bed and clean bathroom at the end of the day.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
