CWT: business travellers more connected & productive

Business travellers are bringing more devices on the road and feeling more productive, according to a new survey by Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

The Connected Traveller Study surveyed more than 1,900 business travelers and found that on average, travellers carry four different types of technology (mobile phone, tablet, laptop, etc.), with the smartphone being the one “travel tool they can’t live without” - more than 80 per cent of travellers across the globe rely on their phone to conduct business.

With technology, most travelers (88 per cent) believe travel is easier to navigate today, the survey found. This has led a significant majority of travellers (78 per cent) to seek opportunities to travel for work and nearly as many find business travel to be stimulating (72 per cent). More than half (55 per cent) of travellers rely on prior travel experience while planning trips, in addition to hotel websites (54 per cent) and airline websites (50 per cent). Airline and hotel apps make up the bulk of app usage for travelers (45 per cent) while map apps also see heavy use (41 per cent).

“The business traveller can be so much more productive than even five years ago thanks to technology,” said Simon Nowroz, chief marketing officer, Carlson Wagonlit Travel. “Think about the advances where a business traveler used to have so much down time between a flight, taxi and hotel. Now, they can login and work while on the plane or wherever they happen to be. With the continued emergence of the tablet, as well as numerous apps, travelers don’t feel out of touch as they carry out business.”

According to the study, work-based relationships and productivity are strengthened through business travel. Nearly nine in 10 business travellers (86 per cent) said travel helped them build new knowledge and perspective, while 80 per cent) said business travel boosted their productivity. Additionally, more than nine in 10 (93 per cent) said that travel positives outweighed negatives when it comes to building and maintaining relationships at work, while nearly eight in 10 (77 per cent) say the same about their home lives.

While two-thirds (67 per cent) of travellers said they believe travel is safer today, nearly half (46 per cent) remain concerned about their safety. This has led more travelers (68 per cent) to “sometimes or always” purchase travel insurance. Business travellers also have difficulties maintaining routines and wellness. More than half of travelers (54 per cent) say that their exercise and wellness habits are disrupted when they travel.

According to the study, as travelers connect with co-workers or family, they often use different methods. With family or friends, travelers chose calling (44 per cent), Skype (24 per cent) and text (17 per cent) as their preferred communication methods. However, they connect with co-workers differently: email (44 per cent), calling (24 per cent) and texting (14 per cent).