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One in three expect to travel more on business next year
Business travel is set to increase in 2014, triggering growth in the travel and hospitality industries.
For the second consecutive year, over one-third (35.7%) of business travelers surveyed said they will travel more in the coming year than in 2013, while almost half (47.2%) said they will travel the same amount.
The survey, conducted by Frequent Business Traveler magazine, also highlighted several trends in business travel including membership in frequent flyer and hotel loyalty programs, traveler loyalty to hotel chains and airline alliances and preferences about where travelers prefer to work and eat.
The survey was conducted during the last quarter of 2013 in association with FlyerTalk, the world’s largest online travel community, and polled 1,323 frequent business travelers.
Jonathan Spira, editorial director of Frequent Business Traveler, said: "Business travelers are professional travelers and they need to balance this aspect of their lives with getting the job done when they get to their destination.
"The amenities and services they require are not always what hotels and airlines provide, and travel executives need to pay heed to what the business traveler is saying."
The research also found that hotels and airlines need to do far more to ensure a more consistent experience for travelers, as 88% of hotel guests and 76% of airline passengers say their experiences are inconsistent.
Last year, 83% of hotel guests and 77% of airline passengers had similar complaints.
It also revealed business travelers are more loyal to airline programs than they are to hotel loyalty programs, with 75% saying they would fly with a preferred airline or alliance even if a flight were not as convenient, compared to 45% who would stay at a less-conveniently situated hotel in order to stay with a particular brand.
One quarter of survey respondents who use it say that the availability of in-flight Wi-Fi impacts their choice of airline and flight while 73% say that they look for free Wi-Fi when selecting a hotel.
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Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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