22 September 2008

Lines between business and leisure travel ââ¬Ëœblurringââ¬â¢

UK business travellers are the most penny pinching, according to the findings of a new study.

The poll of 2,400 people across the UK, France, Germany, the US and Canada found 17% of UK corporate travellers fall into a cost conscious bracket - more than in any other country. The least cost conscious are the French.

UK business travellers were also found to dislike travelling for work more than other.

More than one in two dislike travelling as it is more tiring than a regular day at work and more than half are unhappy that they often have to wake up early and return home late.

Heathrow was rated as one of the most stressful airports in the world with two-thirds stating that the hub caused them the most issues when travelling.

The poll by Egencia found that overall, more than two out of three people enjoy business trips and 85% state that travelling is a key reason why they like their current job.

Almost 40% are ââ¬Ëœexperience-hungryââ¬â¢ travellers who try to balance business travel with personal interests, scheduling in as much free time as possible so they can explore new destinations.

Almost a quarter are ââ¬Ëœhyper-connectedââ¬â¢, tending to carry a BlackBerry and a WiFi-ready laptop, and they are very focused on their business objectives. At the highest, more than one in four (28%) of US corporate travellers belong to this tribe, in other countries that rate drops, the lowest being Canada (19%).

The smallest group, at four per cent, are green travellers who only fly if there is no other option and have frequently considered investing in projects to reduce of CO2 emissions to offset their travel.

Seasoned travellers (six per cent) are the most frequent travellers making around 25 business trips a year. For these people, travel is a core part of their work routine and half of them have assistants to help them organise trips, the research found.

Seven per cent are home-focused who enjoy travelling the least. They tend to be aged between 36 and 45 and often have young children.

Egencia president Jean-Pierre Remy said: ââ¬ÅâœTodayââ¬â¢s corporate traveller has more demands placed on them than ever before.

ââ¬ÅâœAs a result, the lines between business and leisure travel are blurring as business travellers are driven by balancing personal and professional needs.ââ¬~ 

by Phil Davies

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