Barclaycard survey shows business travel growth
Business travel is on the increase, according to the latest survey of 4000 travelling executives by Barclaycard.
The 11th annual Barclaycard Business Travel Survey found that 44% of people travelled more for business in 2006 compared to 2005, and 34% travelled the same amount.
The research also found that people still believe that travel is an essential part of their business, with 79% believing their business had benefited from business travel.
Only 3% said that they could have achieved the same success for their company without travelling.
Of the 44% of business travellers who were travelling more during 2006, almost half cited business expansion either in the UK or abroad as the reason.
Barclaycard Business director of commercial cards Denise Leleux said: “It is clear that despite modern communications such as video conferencing people still believe that travel is an essential part of business.”
The survey also found that 21% of business people travelled more than 500 miles per week with 16% traveling up to a 1000 miles.
The majority (73% ) said most of their trips were within the UK.
Travel to the Middle East rose from 2% in 2005 to 6% in 2006, while travel to Africa rose from 3% to 5%.
“It would seem that even though business expansion is the primary driving force behind business travel, meetings are still concentrated within the UK and Western Europe,” said Leleux.
The survey questioned 4000 CEOs, company directors, managers and executives.
Further findings will be released over the next few weeks.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers