Is business travel important to you? American Express surveys UK professionals to find out

American Express has found new research that globalisation has brought a significant shift in attitudes to business travel and its success for British companies.

Over three quarters (76 per cent) of UK business travellers surveyed believe face-to-face meetings are essential in achieving company objectives and over half (54 per cent) indicate that reducing current levels of business travel would allow competitors to advance.

Conducted by YouGov for American Express, the research revealed that UK professionals find business travel personally fulfilling, while 71 per cent of UK respondents were more likely in the global survey to say that business travel made their job more interesting.

Fabienne Cauli, general manager at American Express Global Commercial Payments, commented: “Professionals have told us that business travel is not only an important aspect of the job and a critical part of business growth, it’s also one they enjoy and find personally fulfilling.

“To ensure business travel continues to have a positive impact on the bottom line, the research has highlighted that preparation is key. Supporting business travellers by ensuring admin and travel logistics are straightforward and fuss-free will make business travel more productive and more rewarding.”

The frequent UK business travellers surveyed undertake, on average, 11 trips per year with six in the country and five overseas. It was stated that good preparation was one of the keys to getting the most out of a business trip; just over three quarters of UK individuals report that this enables them to be more productive.

On the logistical side, travellers have reported that last-minute travel and technology issues have the most impact on their productivity, especially problems with internet access (62 per cent).

The research has also revealed clear positive commercial benefits of business travel. Around half of respondents (49 per cent) agreed that prospect conversion would decrease if face-to-face meetings were curbed and the customer base would fall.

Cauli continued: “`The research highlighted that being able to offer travel with work is an important attraction and recruitment tool for businesses, as well as a vital part of overall job satisfaction.

“Two thirds (61 per cent) of respondents in our research [reported] that business travel is an important consideration when applying for a new job.”

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