SAP Concur and Wakefield Research surveyed 3,850 business travellers in 25 markets in the world - including France - last April and May. The resulting study shows that while business travellers are ready to get back on the road, they will not do so under just any conditions: " Virtually all business travellers are ready to travel this year, but the way companies manage the return journey can be problematic "The authors of the report, published at the end of July, warn. The main culprit is the distribution of journeys: " Most business travellers say their companies are returning to pre-pandemic levels of travel but are spreading it around fewer employees, an approach that leaves the majority unhappy with their travel frequency ". The figures bear this out: 61% of passengers say that their travel plans are not in line with their expectations. And 82% of those surveyed described a policy of " more journeys on fewer shoulders ".
Contrary to what one might think, the discontent is clearly not emanating from the " shoulders "the busiest. That's right, two out of five business travellers (39%) would like to travel more22% of those surveyed were in the opposite situation. At EuropeThe appetite for greater mobility even reached 44%. Be that as it may, the situation can become problematic. Not only for the travel manager, but also for HR, since a quarter of travellers (23%) who do not travel at a satisfactory rate will look for another job if the situation persists. Given the current job market, it's best to react quickly and effectively...
It is perhaps in this context that professionals are revising their requirements upwards. The study published by Concur warns: " Hiring new talent to fill vacancies won't be easy either. Aware of the labour market, travellers are not prepared to accept a job that requires more travel without any additional benefits. ". Whether it's a higher salary, fringe benefits or greater flexibility, almost all of those surveyed (92%) said they would demand something in return for travelling more. Pay is still the main issue (59%), but many employees also want more upmarket travel (40%), extra holiday (39%) or the opportunity to telework (37%).
However, business travellers are not forgetting the general interest, as the authors of the report point out: " Almost all business travellers (94%) are looking to take their own steps to travel more environmentally friendly over the next 12 months, and it seems that those in APAC and the Americas - where sustainability has historically been less of a focus than in Europe - may be looking to catch up with their European counterparts. ".
