While 96 percent of global business travelers are willing to travel for business over the next 12 months, addressing their demands for flexibility may prove essential for companies’ long-term success. This is according to new research commissioned by SAP Concur which highlights global business traveler enthusiasm to return to the road, while pointing to what companies are doing—and need to do—to ensure a productive return to responsible business travel.

Mark Cullen, Managing Director for Concur EMEA South says that in 2020, business travelers found the trip itself to be the most stressful stage of travel. “They reflected increased anxiety around safe travel during a global pandemic. The findings from this year’s survey suggest a return to pre-pandemic stress levels before, during, and after a business trip.”

He adds that employees now have expectations for their employer to protect their health and safety while traveling for business. “After a year of being grounded by events beyond their control, employees are ready to return to business travel, but on their own terms. The actions that companies take in the next 12 months could make or break their ability to acquire and retain valuable employees amid a competitive market for talent.”

With this in mind, Cullen lists key findings from the survey of 3,850 business travelers across 25 global markets and 700 travel managers in seven global markets:

Business travelers are enthusiastic about returning to travel

Ninety-six percent of business travelers are willing to travel for business over the next 12 months, including 65 percent who are very willing. The majority—68 percent— say they are pushing for a return to business travel, while just 32 percent feel their company is requiring them to do so. Baby Boomers are most likely to push their employers for the return to business travel (74 percent).

However, four in five business travelers worry that unless they increase business travel this year, their professional and personal lives will suffer. Professional concerns include the ability to develop and maintain business connections (45 percent), making less money (38 percent), and not advancing in their career (33 percent). One in five (18 percent)—including 29 percent of Gen Z respondents—worry they could lose their job if they are unable to increase their business travel.

Personal reasons for business travel include making personal connections with customers and colleagues (54 percent), experiencing new places (52 percent), and taking a break from their everyday life (41 percent).  One in five global business travelers are looking forward to having the ability to dress up to go somewhere (19 percent), and one in 10 say that their partner wants them out of the house (11 percent)!

They want to travel on their own terms

Flexibility, such as choosing transportation, lodging, and travel dates, is now the most pressing need for business travelers, ahead of their vaccination-related demands such as wanting themselves, or the clients or colleagues they visit, to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (72 percent vs. 62 percent).

Heavy workloads and unused vacation days also mean workers plan to make the most of any upcoming business travel—89 percent say they will add personal vacation time to their business trips in the next 12 months.

Health and safety

Eighty-nine percent of business travelers expect their company to protect their health and safety while traveling by allowing them to select their preferred accommodations (46 percent), preferred mode of travel (43 percent), book travel directly on supplier websites (39 percent), and decide the length of their trip (39 percent).

While most of Gen Z (93 percent) and Millennials (92 percent) expect changes, only 76 percent of Baby Boomers do.

New benefits that business travelers expect from their employers in the wake of the pandemic include the ability to choose direct flights (52 percent), stay in four- to five-star hotels (41 percent), and select premium seating, like first or business class (39 percent).

Companies must meet business travelers’ needs

Almost a third of business travelers (31 percent) would ask to limit travel if their company does not implement policies or measures to help protect their health and safety. One out of five business travelers (20 percent) would go as far as looking for a different position.

The issue is even more important for younger generations—more than half (56 percent) of Gen Z and Millennial respondents would ask to limit travel or search for new positions.

Travel managers must ensure policies match employee expectations

Nearly unanimously, global travel managers think their job will be more challenging in the next 12 months compared to last year (99 percent). The challenges they are faced with include communicating and ensuring compliance with new and revised company travel policies (60 percent), last-minute changes or cancelations to bookings (53 percent), and changes to government regulations (51 percent).

All surveyed travel managers (100 percent) expect their company to implement some travel guidelines or policies in the next 12 months. However, their expected changes do not necessarily track to business traveler demands.

“Enthusiasm for returning to travel, paired with the intent to act if their flexibility demands aren’t met, puts global business travelers in a unique power position,” says Cullen. “However, with an eye toward the right changes, organizations can encourage a productive return to business travel this year—and help achieve broader business goals in the process,” he concludes.

Expert panelists discussed findings from the research at the annual SAP Concur Travel Industry Summit. To access the recorded session, register here. For more information, download the Business Traveler and Travel Manager whitepapers.