Businesses continue to view face-to-face meetings as essential, despite the advances in teleconferencing technologies.
Over three quarters of those UK individuals surveyed in a new business travel survey – conducted by You Gov for American Express – said that face-to-face meetings are “essential to achieving business objectives”.
What’s more over half of respondents said that reducing current levels of business travel would give competitors an advantage, and a third said that if business travel was curbed they would expect revenue to decrease by 25 per cent or more.
The survey also looked at workers personal views of business travel, with 71 per cent saying that it made their job more interesting, and over half stating that travelling for business “has made them consider working abroad”.
Respondents highlighted the benefits of preparation in order to get the most out of a business trip, with over three quarters saying it enabled them to be more productive, and over half spending time researching the local political and economic environment ahead of a trip.
But this preparation did not necessarily extend to pre-flight arrangements, with over a third admitting to not charging their devices before departure, and one in four not checking in for their flights in advance.
Finally when asked to choose their three most important travel service when on the road, respondents highlighted airport lounge access (39 per cent), business class travel (35 per cent), staying in four or five-star accommodation (36 per cent), access to a business credit card (26 per cent), and staying on a hotel “club floor” (16 per cent).
