Among the many themes addressed by SAP Concur as part of its fifth annual surveyBut there is one issue that could - and should - attract the attention of some employers, particularly in the area of human resources. " Business travel is essential, but many feel that it is unfairly reserved for the few "The authors of the report sum up. According to the results of this international survey of 3,850 business travellers and 700 business travel managers, the majority of them denounced a form of injustice. 62% of business travellers feel that they have not always had the same opportunities to travel as their colleagues, because of their gender, sexual orientation, physical appearance or health conditions. More specifically, almost a third (31 %) of LGBTQ+ business travellers feel that they do not always have the same business travel opportunities because of their sexual orientation. 29 % of generation Z professionals feel that their age has put them at a disadvantage. Finally, almost a quarter of the women questioned (23 %) made the same observation...
" Our study highlights the balance that companies need to maintain, identifying and understanding travellers' needs for flexibility and their expectations in terms of diversity and inclusion or sustainability, while dealing with the reality of the company's travel policy and budgetary constraints. "says Stephanie Zetlaoui, Senior Travel Solution Consultant.
Towards greater flexibility in travel policies
Another finding of the study published by SAP Concur is that travel policies may well become more flexible in the near future, for better or for worse. In fact, almost all travel managers (98 %) expect their travel policies to change over the next 12 months. And in 38% of cases, these changes should be aimed at meeting travellers' needs for flexibility. Direct bookings with suppliers will therefore gain ground. A paradoxical development, given that almost a third of travel managers (31 %) believe that direct booking is one of the main threats to their company's business travel...
