One in three business travelers in Europe would quit without a travel option
One in three business travelers in Europe (31 percent) would change jobs if they suddenly no longer had the opportunity to travel, or only very rarely - among generations Y and Z, this figure rises to around 40 percent. This was confirmed by a survey of 543 business travelers in nine European countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands) conducted by corporate payment expert AirPlus.
57% of respondents stated that they perceive business trips as a special privilege, especially in times of video conferencing. Unsurprisingly, 28% of respondents also reported that their companies had encouraged them to replace travel with virtual conferences in the past twelve months, while 22% complained of reduced travel budgets.
Business trips have a positive impact
Overall, the survey shows that employee benefits relating to mobility are important to employees, above all flexible working arrangements (71%). In the DACH region, the approval rate is as high as 75 percent. 56% of European respondents consider company cars and mobility allowances to be important. The German-speaking countries bring up the rear here with an approval rating of 48. Business trip-specific benefits and the option to combine business and private travel ("bleisure", "workation") are rated as important by just under half (49% and 45% respectively).
All these benefits tend to be valued more by younger employees from generations Y and Z than by baby boomers and generation X.
Business trips still serve as a status symbol
Business trips are seen as a status symbol by many respondents, as the survey suggests. People who go on particularly exclusive business trips are seen as privileged by more than half of those surveyed (51%). A good third (37%) have already felt particularly important or superior in their social environment because of a particular business trip. Likewise, 37% of respondents consider people who frequently take business trips to be particularly important.
Differences between the generations and genders can also be seen here. Men and younger respondents from generations Y and Z tend to see travel more as a status symbol, while the corresponding statements are relatively less popular with women and baby boomers.
Business trips still a male domain
Overall, business travel appears to be a lower priority for women, as they predominantly agree less with the corresponding statements than the men surveyed. Unsurprisingly, according to the AirPlus Business Travel Index, women traditionally only make up around 20 percent of travelers on business flights.
Source: www.airplus.com
