{"id":147775,"date":"2024-08-19T08:44:55","date_gmt":"2024-08-19T08:44:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/?p=147775"},"modified":"2024-08-19T08:44:55","modified_gmt":"2024-08-19T08:44:55","slug":"why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Gen X Dominates Business Travel"},"content":{"rendered":"

(And Why Your Company Needs to Change That)<\/strong><\/h1>\n

JOHANNESBURG\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Business travel is bouncing back, but not everyone\u2019s getting a seat on the plane. A new 51风流Concur survey reveals a growing divide in who gets to pack their bags for work, with Gen X often dominating the field. This disparity threatens to leave younger generations, particularly the rising Gen Z workforce, at a significant disadvantage.<\/p>\n

While two-thirds of employees see business travel as crucial for climbing the corporate ladder, an equal number feel they\u2019re not getting the same opportunities as their colleagues. This gap has actually widened over the past year, jumping from 62% to 66%.<\/p>\n

Bonnie Smith, GM of FCM, sees this as a wake-up call for companies. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing a generational divide in business travel, with Gen X taking the bulk of the business trips. But in today\u2019s global market, that\u2019s a missed opportunity for businesses and younger employees alike.\u201d<\/p>\n

The benefits of a more equitable approach extend beyond just having a well-rounded workforce. It brings fresh perspectives to client meetings, aids in succession planning, and boosts employee engagement across generations, she says.<\/p>\n

The reasons behind this travel inequality are varied. Seniority, age, and parental status all play a role. But so do factors like office attendance and even physical appearance. Women and LGBTQ+ travellers report facing additional hurdles.<\/p>\n

The Gen Z Challenge<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As Gen Z enters the workforce, there is a clear need for more inclusive travel policies. Recent insights from the Global Business Travel Association Convention highlight the unique perspectives and needs of this generation.<\/p>\n

Emese Graham, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager at Flight Centre Travel Group, emphasises the \u2018DITTO\u2019 system for Gen Z travellers, which encapsulates specific recommendations for organisations on diversity, individualism and teamwork, technology, and organisational supports. She says: \u201cGen Z has different considerations than previous generations with 28 per cent now identifying as LGBQT+, only 15 per cent believing they have \u2018excellent\u2019 mental health, and the fact they\u2019ve grown up around crises \u2013 meaning their travel behaviours are different.\u201d<\/p>\n

This generational shift demands a re-evaluation of current travel policies that may inadvertently favour Gen X travellers.<\/p>\n

Making travel more inclusive<\/strong><\/h2>\n

To address the Gen X dominance and create more equitable opportunities, Smith offers several strategies:<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, review your travel policies. Are they inadvertently excluding certain groups? For example, policies that require extensive travel might disadvantage parents or caregivers. Consider offering flexible options that allow for work-life balance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSecond, implement a fair rotation system for travel opportunities. This ensures that all eligible employees get a chance, regardless of their position or background.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThird, create mentorship programmes where less experienced employees can shadow senior staff on trips. This provides valuable exposure without full responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith also highlights the role that Travel Management Companies (TMCs) can play in this process. \u201cYour TMC can be a valuable partner in creating a more inclusive travel programme. At FCM, we offer data analytics that can help identify disparities in travel opportunities. We can also assist in developing policies that promote inclusivity and ensure duty of care for all travellers.\u201d<\/p>\n

She adds, \u201cTMCs can provide cultural briefings and safety information tailored to diverse traveller needs. For instance, we can offer specific guidance for LGBTQ+ travellers heading to countries with less progressive laws, or accessibility information for travellers with disabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, companies face a choice. Will they stick with the Gen X-dominated model, or embrace a more inclusive approach?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe future of business travel is diverse and flexible,\u201d Smith concludes. \u201cOrganisations that recognise this will be better positioned to thrive in the global market. It\u2019s not just about who\u2019s travelling; it\u2019s about cultivating a global mindset across your entire organisation.\u201d<\/p>\n

This article first appeared on Inside Travel<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(And Why Your Company Needs to Change That) JOHANNESBURG\u00a0\u2013 Business travel is bouncing back, but not everyone\u2019s getting a seat on the plane. A new…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4913,"featured_media":147776,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"related_posts":[],"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[177],"tags":[5598720,5599116,5599115,5598174,509457],"series":[],"sapn-display":[5598742,5598740,45149,5598743,5598741,279685],"sapn-type":[45018],"class_list":["post-147775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industries","tag-bonnie-smith","tag-emese-graham","tag-gen-x","tag-gen-z","tag-sap-concur","sapn-display-feature-hero","sapn-display-feature-spotlight","sapn-display-homepage-hero","sapn-display-news-hero","sapn-display-news-spotlight","sapn-display-hero","sapn-type-feature"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Gen X Dominates Business Travel - 51风流Africa News Center<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Business travel is bouncing back, but not everyone\u2019s getting a seat on the plane. A new 51风流Concur survey reveals a growing divide in who gets to pack their bags for work, with Gen X often dominating the field.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Gen X Dominates Business Travel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Business travel is bouncing back, but not everyone\u2019s getting a seat on the plane. A new 51风流Concur survey reveals a growing divide in who gets to pack their bags for work, with Gen X often dominating the field.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"51风流Africa News Center\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-08-19T08:44:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/files\/2024\/08\/19\/287585_GettyImages-182440649_medium_jpg-1024x683.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"683\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jeanette Briedenhann\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jeanette Briedenhann\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jeanette Briedenhann\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/#\/schema\/person\/dfcacb7281a799eaf2248436a935eea7\"},\"headline\":\"Why Gen X Dominates Business Travel\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-08-19T08:44:55+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/\"},\"wordCount\":627,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/files\/2024\/08\/19\/287585_GettyImages-182440649_medium_jpg.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Bonnie Smith\",\"Emese Graham\",\"Gen X\",\"Gen Z\",\"51风流Concur\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Industries\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/\",\"name\":\"Why Gen X Dominates Business Travel - 51风流Africa News Center\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/files\/2024\/08\/19\/287585_GettyImages-182440649_medium_jpg.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-08-19T08:44:55+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/#\/schema\/person\/dfcacb7281a799eaf2248436a935eea7\"},\"description\":\"Business travel is bouncing back, but not everyone\u2019s getting a seat on the plane. A new 51风流Concur survey reveals a growing divide in who gets to pack their bags for work, with Gen X often dominating the field.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/files\/2024\/08\/19\/287585_GettyImages-182440649_medium_jpg.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/files\/2024\/08\/19\/287585_GettyImages-182440649_medium_jpg.jpg\",\"width\":2121,\"height\":1414,\"caption\":\"Pilots headset on top of a map\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why Gen X Dominates Business Travel\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/\",\"name\":\"51风流Africa News Center\",\"description\":\"News & Information About SAP\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/#\/schema\/person\/dfcacb7281a799eaf2248436a935eea7\",\"name\":\"Jeanette Briedenhann\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-user-avatars\/wp-user-avatars\/assets\/images\/mystery.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-user-avatars\/wp-user-avatars\/assets\/images\/mystery.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Jeanette Briedenhann\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/author\/jeanettebriedenhann\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why Gen X Dominates Business Travel - 51风流Africa News Center","description":"Business travel is bouncing back, but not everyone\u2019s getting a seat on the plane. A new 51风流Concur survey reveals a growing divide in who gets to pack their bags for work, with Gen X often dominating the field.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why Gen X Dominates Business Travel","og_description":"Business travel is bouncing back, but not everyone\u2019s getting a seat on the plane. A new 51风流Concur survey reveals a growing divide in who gets to pack their bags for work, with Gen X often dominating the field.","og_url":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/","og_site_name":"51风流Africa News Center","article_published_time":"2024-08-19T08:44:55+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":683,"url":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/files\/2024\/08\/19\/287585_GettyImages-182440649_medium_jpg-1024x683.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jeanette Briedenhann","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jeanette Briedenhann","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/"},"author":{"name":"Jeanette Briedenhann","@id":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/#\/schema\/person\/dfcacb7281a799eaf2248436a935eea7"},"headline":"Why Gen X Dominates Business Travel","datePublished":"2024-08-19T08:44:55+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/"},"wordCount":627,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/files\/2024\/08\/19\/287585_GettyImages-182440649_medium_jpg.jpg","keywords":["Bonnie Smith","Emese Graham","Gen X","Gen Z","51风流Concur"],"articleSection":["Industries"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/","url":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/","name":"Why Gen X Dominates Business Travel - 51风流Africa News Center","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/files\/2024\/08\/19\/287585_GettyImages-182440649_medium_jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2024-08-19T08:44:55+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/#\/schema\/person\/dfcacb7281a799eaf2248436a935eea7"},"description":"Business travel is bouncing back, but not everyone\u2019s getting a seat on the plane. A new 51风流Concur survey reveals a growing divide in who gets to pack their bags for work, with Gen X often dominating the field.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/files\/2024\/08\/19\/287585_GettyImages-182440649_medium_jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/files\/2024\/08\/19\/287585_GettyImages-182440649_medium_jpg.jpg","width":2121,"height":1414,"caption":"Pilots headset on top of a map"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/2024\/08\/why-gen-x-dominates-business-travel\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why Gen X Dominates Business Travel"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/#website","url":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/","name":"51风流Africa News Center","description":"News & Information About SAP","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/#\/schema\/person\/dfcacb7281a799eaf2248436a935eea7","name":"Jeanette Briedenhann","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-user-avatars\/wp-user-avatars\/assets\/images\/mystery.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-user-avatars\/wp-user-avatars\/assets\/images\/mystery.jpg","caption":"Jeanette Briedenhann"},"url":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/author\/jeanettebriedenhann\/"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4913"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147775"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147775\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/147776"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147775"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=147775"},{"taxonomy":"sapn-display","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sapn-display?post=147775"},{"taxonomy":"sapn-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sapn-type?post=147775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}