Business travelers concerned about over-connectivity

Date : 05/09/2017
Author : Forum Business Travel

Business travelers carry more devices with them and feel their productivity has improved during their work commutes. However, many of them are concerned about too much connectivity, especially Spaniards, according to the CWT Connected Traveler survey.

The survey of more than 1,900 business travelers indicates that, on average, they carry four different technological devices (mobile phone, tablet, laptop, etc.). Smartphones are “the must-have travel tools par excellence” as more than 80% of travelers worldwide rely on their phone to conduct business.

Corporate travelers from Spain are among those who value business travel the most (93%), believing it brings them new knowledge and insights. Spaniards, however, are concerned about being excessively connected when they go abroad. A staggering 64% report feeling concerned about being too connected and having such inescapable access to communications; almost 40% above the European regional average (28%).

TRAVEL IS A PLEASURE

Thanks to technology, most travelers (88%) feel that it is now easier to get around. As a result, a large majority (78%) say they seek out travel opportunities for work and almost as many say they find business travel (72%) stimulating.

Today's travelers are savvy and use this knowledge to plan their trips. More than half (55%) say they use their previous travel experience to plan their trips, in addition to using hotel (54%) and airline (50%) websites. Airline and hotel apps were the most used by travelers (45%), as were map apps (41%).

According to the study, business travel is beneficial for business relationships and productivity. Nearly 9 out of 10 travelers (86%) say that travel helped them gain new knowledge and perspectives, while 80% say that business travel has increased their productivity. Likewise, more than 9 out of 10 (93%) say that travel has more advantages than disadvantages when it comes to cultivating professional relationships, and nearly 8 out of 10 (77%) say the same for their personal lives.

PRECONCERNS

Two-thirds (67%) of travelers said they were convinced that travel was safer today. However, almost half (46%) said they were concerned about their safety. Reflecting this, more travelers (68%) said they have "sometimes or always" purchased travel insurance. Business travelers also say they find it difficult to maintain routine and well-being. Fifty-four percent admit that their exercise and wellness habits are affected during their travels.

According to the study, the means used by travelers to contact work colleagues and family members differ depending on the recipient. With family and friends, they prefer calls (44%), Skype (24%) or text messages (17%). For work colleagues, they use email (44%), followed by calls (24%) and text messages (14%).

When it comes to personal relationships, nearly a quarter of travelers in the Americas said that travel deteriorated their relationship with their partner (27%), higher than their counterparts in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Asia Pacific (22%). This is probably the reason why travelers from the Americas made a greater effort to maintain contact with their families (50%) than those from Asia Pacific (31%) and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (27%).

They also made a greater effort to maintain contact with their families (50%) than those from Asia Pacific (31%) and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (27%).