A large majority (95%) of business travelers in APAC are ready to travel again in the next 12 months, according to a new report.
In conversation with over 3,000 business travelers in the APAC market, the SAP Concur Asia-Pacific Business Traveler Report 2021 showed an overwhelming interest among workers in returning from business trips in the next 12 months, with 95% of respondents willing to get back on the road.
Willingness to travel again is fueled by a belief that if their company does not increase business travel in the next year, they will suffer. However, to be comfortable on the go, they expect increased flexibility that marks changes in the way they travel and do business.
According to the report, 81% of business travelers in APAC fear the inability to increase business travel could meet them in person. Her personal career problems include difficulty building and maintaining business connections (51% versus 45% globally), not getting ahead in her career (39% versus 33% globally), and making less money (39%).
Almost one in seven (14%) is even worried about losing their job, and for very frequent business travelers (16 or more trips per year) it is even almost one in four (22%).
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As a result, nearly two-thirds of business travelers in APAC (65%) say they are getting back on the road rather than moving their business forward – largely because they see travel as an opportunity to build relationships and broaden their horizons: a majority want face-to-face contacts socializing with customers and colleagues (57%) and getting to know new places (53%).
What’s new As with everything else – more flexibility.
About three in four (74%) of business travelers in APAC rate flexibility as the most important criterion for business travel, well ahead of vaccination-related requirements at 64%.
This includes everything from planning to carrying out their trips: business travelers can choose their preferred accommodation (49%) and type of travel (43%) as essential travel benefits.
Flexibility can also mean more free time: About nine out of ten APAC business travelers (92%) will add private vacation time to their business trips in the next 12 months.
Business travelers from the APAC region see non-resumption of travel as a risk to business results: 80% have concerns if their company stops traveling in the next 12 months.
In particular, they fear that without increased travel it will be more difficult to sign new contracts (40%), build new relationships (39%) and extend contracts with existing customers (39%). In fact, 9% even fear that their shop will be closed.
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Image / SAP Concur white paper
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