According to the findings of the , two-thirds of business travellers feel that traveling for business is critical to their career advancement. However, the survey also found that most professionals don’t feel they have an equal opportunity to take business trips compared to their colleagues.

“Three-quarters of business travellers say they enjoy business travel, but a growing number feel their opportunities to do so are diminishing,” says , Human Resources Director at 51风流Africa. “Common reasons cited by respondents include their level of seniority (19%), their age (18%), where they live (14%) and their status as parent or caretaker (14%). Surprisingly, 12 percent of respondents said they have fewer opportunities to travel for business due to how often they come into the office, which clearly has implications for remote and hybrid workers.”

The global business travel market was and is projected to reach nearly $2-trillion by 2030. There are business trips every year.

Disruptions continue to impact travellers

Following the disruption caused by the pandemic which brought the global business travel market to a standstill, the market has recovered. However, disruption continues to plague the sector.

“Nearly nine in ten business travellers we surveyed said they’d experienced a significant impact from a travel disruption in the past year,” says Koolen. “These disruptions are not only bad for business, but also for employees’ work-life balance, who often have to spend additional, unplanned days on their trip or sit through longer layovers.”

According to the survey, common disruptions affecting business travellers include unexpected delays or cancellations, safety concerns, and trips getting re-routed.

“In response, the majority of business travellers (80%) are proactively taking steps to account for disruptions, including booking extra time for arrival, departure, or both,” explains Koolen. “Companies can also play a supporting role by investing in travel management solutions that help business travellers stay informed of potential disruptions and allow them to make quick changes to their trip to mitigate any issues.”

Three ways to address business travel challenges

One of the most pressing challenges for business travellers is their companies’ need to balance flexibility with cost-efficiency. “The top two focus areas for companies regarding their business travel are meeting employees’ needs for flexibility and cutting back on travel costs. Nearly all business travellers have seen their companies cut back on certain travel options over the past year, most notably options to add personal travel days to their business trip and allowing remote work while traveling to avoid having to take leave days.”

Understanding employees’ needs and concerns over business travel can help companies ensure they adjust policies accordingly. “It’s essential that companies take necessary steps to keep employees safe and minimise negative experiences and undue disruptions during their business trips,” says Koolen.

Some of the steps companies can take to address business travel challenges include:

1 Deepening engagement with employees

Regular surveys of employees, both before and after business trips, can help companies gather valuable insights into their experience. This can inform changes to business travel policies that may reduce disruptions and avoid negative experiences.

“Companies should check in with employees and ask them questions around their perceived levels of access to business travel opportunities, challenges experienced during recent trips, safety concerns, and familiarity with company travel policies,” says Koolen. “In addition, companies should ensure employees have easy access to resources that enable employees to resolve common challenges.”

2 Acting on data

While collecting data around business travel challenges and experiences is vital, it’s even more important to act on that data. “Companies must use the insights they gain from employee surveys and interactions to develop actionable plans for enhancing business travel experiences,” says Koolen.

Such plans may include revisiting travel policies to remove opportunities for friction, both while booking trips and traveling for work. “Companies need to ensure the right tools are in place to help travellers navigate common challenges, and remain agile in their approach to resolving travel-related issues.”

3 Enhancing capabilities with AI

Koolen says the push-and-pull between the needs of companies and their employees may soon get some help from AI. “Nearly all employees in the survey said they are open to using AI-enabled options for booking their business travel. However, only 7% are comfortable doing so right now, pointing to an urgent need for companies to provide training and support around using AI.”

According to the survey, business travellers are most willing to consider AI automation for administrative tasks, including guidance on safety and wellbeing, visa and documentation support, capturing expenses, and finding sustainable travel options.

“AI-enabled tools may help companies address some concerns among their employees, but the most important aspect is not the tool itself, but the reasons for offering it: making business travellers鈥� lives easier. By taking care in how AI is introduced, companies can ensure AI-powered tools empower employees to improve the quality of their business trips while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.”

The post 51风流Survey Reveals Top Business Travel Challenges (and what Companies can do About Them) appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

Although the travel industry is increasingly addressing inclusivity, research shows that business travel聽is lagging.

鈥淭he lack of inclusivity in business travel is troubling. It creates uneven playing fields for LGBTQ+ employees, limiting their career opportunities if they feel unsafe travelling. This hurts both individuals and organisations. Plus, it undermines a company鈥檚 diversity efforts and reputation,鈥� says聽, GM of .

Smith adds that addressing the safety of LGBTQ+ business travellers can be difficult due to the rapid changes to LGBTQ+ rights and safety concerns worldwide.

According to the 鈥檚听, Africa is the most risky continent to travel to for LGBTQ+ travellers, basing this on rights, laws, freedoms and public perspectives. Thirty-one countries in Africa have criminalised聽homosexuality,聽and聽many more display anti-queer sentiments. Other dangerous regions for聽queer聽travellers include the Middle East, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, North Asia and East Asia.

Even in countries that are considered LGBTQ+ friendly, travellers can still face challenges, as 90% of business travellers reported that they still hid their sexual orientation during their trips.

However, this strategy聽does not always guarantee聽their safety.

Smith recommends training staff and using TMCs that will understand the unique risks and cultural sensitivities to accommodate and assist employees who do not conceal their sexuality. TMCs can do this by communicating with local tour operators and DMCs who are aware of establishments and accommodations that are queer-friendly or by consulting online guides for options such as聽. IGLTA offers lists of tour operators and accommodations that are tolerant of LGBTQ+ travellers.

TMCs can also offer pre-trip assessments that examine local laws and customs, the degree of social and cultural acceptance as well as outlying practices. An example of an outlier is when homosexuality is not illegal in a country, but specific ideas of public indecency that correlate with queerness can result in arrest.

Smith emphasises the importance聽by corporates聽to train staff on how rights vary in different countries,聽and who to contact in medical emergencies and for legal support if faced with assault, detention, imprisonment, or deportation.

Furthermore, by creating inclusive policies that adapt to destination-specific laws, sociopolitical changes, safety considerations and language usage, diversity, equity and inclusivity policies are validated. Additionally, it safeguards employees鈥� mental and physical health, improving work ethic and retention.

鈥淎n inclusive travel culture can improve morale and make staff feel valued by their employer,鈥� concludes Smith.

This article first appeared on .

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In SAP鈥檚 recent Concur Global Business Travel Survey, business travellers reported significant budget cuts (40%), a surge in reduced overnight trips (32%), and a noticeable dip in the quality of accommodations (31%).

The survey revealed that 31% of participants were engaged in an ongoing quest for cost-effective travel options. Unsurprisingly, air travel expenses emerged as one of the primary focal points for budget scrutiny as businesses seek to rationalise overall travel expenditures.

According to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the average cost of business-related airfares surged by 72% in 2022. While these statistics provide an overview, what is the actual experience for a business traveller striving to harmonise corporate objectives with personal comfort?

Real-world impact

In an interview with聽Travel News, a seasoned corporate traveller shed light on the tangible effects of reduced travel budgets. He emphasises how these financial constraints have transformed business trips into less enjoyable and more arduous experiences.

鈥淲e must consider longer airline routes with multiple stops to secure cheaper airfares. This strategy, while financially prudent, has introduced new challenges. The extended layovers not only induce fatigue but also limit the time available for attending crucial meetings at my destination. This shift is a significant departure from the more efficient business travel experiences of the past.鈥�

He explained that while it was tempting to reduce business travel costs, his company must be mindful of how these decisions could impact travellers.

鈥淏usiness trips should contribute to the benefit of our operations and profitability, and at the same time consider that we are away from home; living out of a suitcase is no longer exciting for me. I have preferences when I travel to feel comfortable and safe in a foreign environment. There must be a balance between cost saving and our business travel processes, and it is tricky to get that right when everything has become so expensive.鈥�

Proactive approach

Bonnie Smith, GM of Corporate Traveller, says now is the right time to take a strategic rather than reactive approach to business travel budgeting.

鈥淲hile all businesses need to have an eye on expenses, it is equally important to provide teams with the necessary resources and flexibility when they are on the road.鈥�

In a recent Corporate Traveller article, Smith notes that business travellers are pinching pennies and facing more pressure to make the trip worth every cent.

鈥淭he fluctuating rand has not helped, resulting in daily travel allowances barely covering the basics. And you know what they say about all work and no play: it is making these trips much less about glamour and more grind.鈥�

This article first appeared in .

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Those on the ground say sky-high ticket prices and tighter company wallets can sometimes make聽business聽trips feel more like boot camp than a perk.聽Business聽travellers are pinching pennies and facing more pressure to make the trip worth every cent. The fluctuating Rand hasn鈥檛 helped 鈥� daily travel allowances barely cover the basics. And you know what they say about all work and no play 鈥� it’s making these trips much less glamorous and more grind.

The change is palpable, according to the .聽Business聽travellers have reported significant budget cuts (40 percent), a surge in reduced overnight trips (32 percent), and a noticeable dip in the quality of accommodations (31 percent). Moreover, the relentless hunt for cheaper fares has been felt by 31 percent of those surveyed.

Understandably, flights were some of the first to come under budget scrutiny. The reported that the average ticket price for聽business-related airfares rose 72% in 2022. The numbers give a sense of the situation, but what’s the reality for a聽business聽traveller trying to balance聽business聽goals with personal comfort?

Any frequent flyer will agree that聽business聽trips can be a hectic whirlwind of meetings and deadlines. But when you have to pick a cheaper, less convenient flight? Crazy early mornings or late nights, long layovers, or having to bounce between multiple airports get added to your workload.

Instead of saving聽energy聽for the big meeting, you’re left dealing with jet lag and travel fatigue. And the time you could’ve spent prepping or chilling? Wasted on navigating the extra travel hassle. Add to this – the discomfort of spending layovers on an airport bench because you鈥檝e dropped from silver to bronze, and the benefits that took some of the heavy聽lifting聽out of travel have vanished.

Companies are also making sure they get a bang for their buck. Instead of a one-day聽business聽trip with a single meeting, travellers now find their itineraries packed. Multiple appointments, visits, reviews, and the odd networking dinner thrown in. The rationale? If we’re spending so much to get you there, we might as well make the most of it. The result? The Q2 2023 Quarterly Trends Report shows corporations are travelling, on average, 20% less than 2019. 聽The unintended benefit – it’s better for the聽environment聽to batch meetings.

It’s a brave new world out there for the聽business聽traveller 鈥� and it鈥檚 forcing many who hold the purse strings to reconsider and revise their travel strategies and policies. Bonnie Smith, GM Corporate Traveller, says that now is the right time to take a strategic rather than reactive approach to聽business聽travel budgeting.

“TMCs are on the pulse of the travel industry,” says Smith. By joining forces with a company鈥檚 administrative team, a TMC can devise a monthly travel budget perfectly suited to an organisation’s specific needs. “Their extensive network and know-how can unlock global deals, allowing travellers to enjoy perks without the premium of聽business聽class flights,” Smith adds.

The expertise TMCs bring to the table can also help recalibrate the company鈥檚 travel policy 鈥� and help to set some ground rules. 鈥淚t’s all about letting the team enjoy their trips without blowing the budget,鈥� she explains.

Smith explains there are simple and easy ways to take some of the 鈥榞runt work鈥� out of聽business聽travel:

• Special rates and perks: With global industry ties from a TMC like Corporate Traveller, travellers don’t need to hunt for the best deals. They automatically get competitive rates, plus perks like lounge access or upgrades.
• 24/7 support and聽safety: Travellers can skip the stress of problem-solving during hiccups. With round-the-clock support, any issue, big or small, gets addressed without the traveller having to handle it all.
• Feedback and updates: A TMC will keep the company鈥檚 travel policy fresh so travellers always have a streamlined experience. Regular tweaks based on feedback mean travellers spend less time voicing concerns and more time enjoying seamless journeys.
• Easy expense management: Thanks to tech and tools, travellers don’t have to dread the post-trip paperwork. Simplified expense tracking means less time documenting and more time focusing on the trip’s purpose.

鈥淲hile all businesses need to have an eye on expenses, it’s equally important to provide teams with the necessary聽resources聽and flexibility when they’re on the聽road. After all, their success during these trips is directly linked to our overall success as an organisation,鈥� adds Smith.

“Overly tight travel rules can demotivate top performers. They need both freedom and the right tools to excel. Balancing costs with travellers’ genuine needs is the key to reaping the full return on investment of聽business聽travel,鈥� Smith concludes.

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