Half of business travellers and bookers are willing to pay up to 25% more for greener alternatives, particularly if an upgraded experience is available.
One in five (21%) will opt for a more expensive sustainable alternative if the cost increase also meant an experience upgrade.
These were some of the key findings of a survey in a report by chauffeur specialist Blacklane – Unlocking the Business Traveller’s Mindset – which sought insights from 128 respondents – 58% business travellers and 42% bookers.
Nearly half (49%) of the travel managers and bookers expect sustainability to become a major factor influencing travel decisions in the next few years. This is a significant rise from one in five today (17%).
Cost is the biggest challenge for over two thirds (67%) of travel managers and bookers.
Despite cost concerns, 40% of business travel managers and bookers admitted they do not strictly adhere to their company’s travel policy cost limits.
One quarter (24%) believe the travel policy fails to align with traveller or booker preferences for more sustainable options.
Jason Dunderdale, Global Director of Sales at Blacklane, said: “Business travel professionals are facing unprecedented challenges as they strive to strike a balance between cost control and sustainability.
“While we all agree that travel policies need attention to meet sustainability targets, the potential for getting this wrong brings a host of risks impacting policy compliance and cost efficiencies.”
Blacklane is running a dedicated webinar ‘Business Travel ROI: Balancing Value, Sustainability and Cost’ on April 3 2025 at 2pm.
