Hyperconnected travelers demand flexibility and work-life balance

The new business traveler expects greater flexibility with their company's travel program and benefits beyond the economic aspect, such as work-life balance and a personalized corporate travel experience. This is according to a survey conducted by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) and American Express Global Business Travel (GBT).

Under the title “Meet the modern business traveler” is based on a survey of 250 travel managers and companies. The results show that frequent traveler priorities are changing. For example, nearly half of the managers who participated (48%) perceived that, over the past three years, their business travelers have become increasingly concerned with improving work-life balance.

With an equally high proportion (42%), companies are also claiming that their travelers are increasingly trying to combine business and leisure during their corporate travel. Other demands that are also growing on the part of the business traveler are the possibility of being accompanied by a family member during the trip (28%), as well as the fact of being able to have free time (23%).

While these quality-of-life aspects are becoming increasingly important, security remains the top priority for the business traveler: nearly two-thirds of travel managers (65%) acknowledge that there has been growing traveler concern for their personal safety over the past three years.The growing international instability has made security a top priority for travel managers, but also for travelers. In this sense, it is essential for companies to be able to obtain constant information and guarantee the visibility of the traveler, at all times, in the event of an unforeseen event," stresses Luis Dupuy de Lôme, general manager of American Express Global Business Travel Spain.

THE HYPER CONNECTED TRAVELER

Among the 250 travel managers surveyed, more than three-quarters (79%) have seen an increase in the use of mobile app-based transportation in the past three years, while nearly half (79%) have seen an increase in the use of mobile apps in the past three years;years, while almost half (48%) have noticed a growing demand for the services of private transportation networks (such as Uber) and 40% say there has been a growing demand for accommodation through platforms based on the collaborative economy (such as Airbnb).

When it comes to flying, traveler habits are changing as well: almost half of travel managers (49%) say that the use of low-cost airlines has increased among their travelers. However, 23% state that they have seen an increase in demand for services with traditional airlines, so the study suggests that the new business traveler is choosing to combine both options today.

THE CHALLENGE FOR COMPANIES

Many companies are beginning to adapt their travel programs to meet the profile of this new business traveler. More than half of the companies surveyed (54%) have strengthened those policies aimed at ensuring the traveler's personal security, while more than a third (36%) are either about to do so or are considering changes to their security policies.

When it comes to the use of collaborative economy services, travel managers are split: 25% provide their travelers with transportation services linked to collaborative economy options, while 30% do not. Only 9% offer their travelers an accommodation service through collaborative economy platforms, while 59% say they have no intention of offering this type of service to their travelers.

PRODUCTIVITY AND TRAVEL EXPERIENCE

Improving productivity is emerging as the main driver for improving the traveler experience for 39% of the companies participating in the survey;A quarter of respondents said that improving the experience is a key factor in attracting and retaining talent. Only 14% acknowledged that the main reason for improving the travel experience is to achieve a economic benefit.

However, there is evidence that companies often show an imbalance between the KPIs set and the objectives that the travel manager sets. Most travel managers consider savings (90%) to be their top KPI, followed by compliance(86%), traveler satisfaction (68%), traveler productivity (30%), traveler wellness (29%), work-life balance (24%) and talent retention (20%).