Technology transforming travel: GBTA study

Mobile technologies – including WiFi, travel apps and digital wallets – are transforming business travellers' experience around the globe, according to the first-ever GBTA Global Business Traveller Sentiment Index.

The Index, in partner­ship with American Express, was fielded Mar. 17 to April 6 2015, to business travellers within Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the UK and the U.S. through an online research panel. 

Overall, 3,851 respondents participated in the study. Qualifications for respondents included: their pri­mary residence is located in one of the eight countries; they are employed part- or full-time and they have taken four or more business trips in the prior 12 months.

The index makes four key findings:

1. Technology continues to transform the business travel experience.
2. Despite overall satisfaction with travel, a number of issues were reported among business travellers – such as getting through security, high airline fees and lack of WiFi.
3. Travellers are optimistic about the health of their industry, though less hopeful about the overall state of their country's economy.
4. The level of satisfaction in business travel varies widely by country.  Business travellers from Mexico are the most satisfied, while travelers from Japan are the least satisfied, among countries surveyed.

Travellers, across the board, believe that WiFi is vital to their work productivity:

• Mexico – 90 per cent
• Brazil – 87 per cent
• Canada – 83 per cent
• United States – 81 per cent
• United Kingdom – 80 per cent
• Australia – 75 per cent
• Germany – 70 per cent
• Japan – 52 per cent

Travellers remain concerned about the health of the overall economy, but tend to be much more optimistic about their industry. At least half of travellers from Mexico (65 per cent), the U.S. (54 per cent), the UK (52 per cent) and Canada (50 per cent) report that the overall health of their industry is excellent.

Finally, major differences in Business Traveller Sentiment emerged on a country-by-country basis. Business travellers from Mexico, for instance, score higher than average across every Index component. Meanwhile, travellers in the United States, Australia and the UK all score just above average on overall business travel sentiment, while those from Germany, Brazil and Canada score just below average. Japanese business travellers are the least satisfied across all Index components, except social media experience.