Business Travel Angst Can Be Stressful
While there are many advantages and opportunities to business travel – the chance to visit new places, add on a holiday and experience different cultures – global findings, today released from Booking.com, reveal that alongside these opportunities, business travellers are navigating a gamut of anxiety-inducing scenarios that leave them worried and anxious.
The research conducted by Booking.com surveyed more than 4,500 business travellers across eight countries. Findings highlight how although a third generally feel positive about travelling for business (38%) the biggest stressors for those travelling internationally on business stem from the logistics of their travel, with a staggering nine out of 10 (93%) feeling stressed at some point on their journey.
A combination of pre-travel planning, booking accommodation, arranging transport, managing expenses and receipts, and navigating the destination, combined with a lack of sleep, has the potential to leave business travellers weary and strained. That’s all before the important meetings and actual work have even begun.
Research shows the top 10 causes of anxiety in business travel: Missing a flight/train, 36%; Language barriers, 26%; Possibility that luggage will be lost, 25%; Losing important documents (i.e. passport, presentation), 24%; Meetings being cancelled, 21%; Unfamiliar surroundings, 20%; Cultural norms/differences, 17%; IT setup – whether devices will work, 16%; Losing a company-owned device (i.e. laptop, mobile phone), 15%; Presenting to/meeting with people for the first time, 15%; Getting around the city, 15%.
While many holiday-makers feel excited at the prospect of time at an airport and hitting the shops for some duty-free treats or a celebratory drink at the start of their vacation, it’s airports that hold the biggest pet peeve for those who travel on international business. Among their least favourite things about international business travel, delays and cancellations topped the list, with half (47%) of business travellers complaining about this. As would be expected, jet lag (35%) and airport security queues (34%) are also disliked.
While these are felt across the globe, German business travellers dislike security queues most (42%), whereas Chinese business travellers are more understanding of this necessity, with only one in five (20%) rating it as one of their least favourite things about international business travel.
Touching down in a foreign destination can also feel exciting and adventurous for those on vacation, but for business travellers, it can be a different story. The research shows that worries don’t end at the airport, with one in four (26%) feeling anxious about language barriers when they reach their destination, and one in five feeling uneasy about being in unfamiliar surroundings (20%), and cultural norms and differences (17%).
While business travel can be exciting and full of opportunities, it can at times feel lonely, with many of those surveyed saying they miss family, friends and general home life (34%). In fact, more than one-third of American business travellers say one of their least favourite things about international business travel is being away from their family, friends or partner (38%).
“While business travel has so many positives such as the opportunity to experience new cultures, broaden horizons and the chance to meet colleagues face-to-face, the logistics of business travel can get in the way,” says Ripsy Bandourian, director of product development, Booking.com for Business. “Airport queues and delays, the accommodation at your destination lacking home comforts and lack of personal time can add a layer of unnecessary stress.”
