TDM Editor

The ‘Meet Tomorrow’s Business Travelers’ report used representative samples of more than 1,800 business travelers in the US and UK to better understand the needs of business travelers and explore how people really feel about traveling for work.

While 70% of Gen Z respondents (aged 18 – 28) say they look forward a lot or a fair amount to traveling for work, they are also more likely to report experiencing stress, disruption and difficulty in business travel than older generations. Gen Z is also the least likely (63%) to understand that their employer has a responsibility to care for them while they are on work trips vs. business travelers overall (68%) and Millennials (73%), highlighting an opportunity for better education and communication about business travel policies and support services.

The older Millennial cohort (aged 29-44) are most positive about traveling for work and more likely than other generations to describe business travel as good for their career, exciting, motivating and good for teamwork.

Evan Konwiser, Chief Product and Strategy Officer, Amex GBT, said: “We can see that Gen Z workers recognize how business travel can enable career growth and connection in a more disrupted world. With that said, we know that traveling can be an emotional experience, especially when it is disrupted. As an industry it is important that we find the right mix of digital self-service and human support to meet the needs of both today and tomorrow’s traveling workforce.”

He continued: “When you combine AI with human talent you can unlock exceptional user experiences while managing the corporate policy and program.”

The report also found that, across generations, there are multiple opportunities and challenges that employers must address to keep business travelers satisfied and secure on the road. Some additional takeaways include:

Kelly Beaver MBE, Chief Executive of Ipsos in the UK and Ireland, said: “The past few years have been challenging for everyone, employers and employees alike, and those just entering the workforce for the first time are finding it especially difficult to find their feet.

We know from our own experience, and from research done by our specialist employee research team at Ipsos Karian and Box, that time spent together, whether collaborating in offices or onsite with our clients, has an important, positive impact on employee advocacy and connection. In our wider work, we are also seeing Generation Z reporting higher stress levels than other generations, so businesses and brands have an opportunity to understand how to respond to make things easier.”

The study concludes by identifying a range of ways to make business travel more seamless, secure, special and sustainable for travelers across generations.