Four in five business travellers have seen their job affected by a lack of cross-border business travel, according to research unveiled today by Collinson.
A survey of nearly 8,000 business travellers in the UK and 12 other countries worldwide found a third said that not seeing clients face to face has negatively affected the way they do business.
A third also said the lack of travel has made their company less productive and 28% said they have felt unable to do their job effectively since travel restrictions came into force.
The survey also indicated that when business travel resumes travellers will be looking to their employers for the right provision of support and assistance to protect not just their physical but also mental health.
Before the pandemic, 35% of business travellers raised concerns about the impact of business travel on their mental health while 23% said it increased their stress levels.
Post-Covid, feelings have intensified with 73% of travellers worldwide saying they’ll be prioritising their mental wellbeing more when they travel in future.
“The research shows a tension between the importance of business travel, which employees say allows them to do their job better and makes businesses more productive, and caring for them while travelling,” said David Evans, Joint CEO of Collinson.
“In order to make business travellers feel comfortable travelling again it won’t just be a question of Covid-19 measures such as testing and vaccinations. Communication is key, and as such employers and their medical assistance and travel risk management service partners need to take a holistic approach regarding traveller wellbeing.
“This is an opportunity for businesses to understand what their employees want from the future of corporate travel and build this into their programmes to offer the right support and provide a great experience for employees, partners and clients when taking to the skies again.”
Collinson is a global provider of travel experience services and the UK’s largest provider of airport Covid-19 testing.
As well as UK travellers, Collinson’s survey questioned business travellers in Australia, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Singapore, the UAE, the UK and the U.S.
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