business travel

{{Short description|Travel undertaken for work or business purposes}}

{{For|the similarly named television program|CNN Business Traveller}}

File:Emirates business class A380 seat bar.jpg aircraft) in aircraft usually provide more space and facilities than the standard class.]]

Business travel is travel undertaken for work or business purposes, as opposed to other types of travel such as leisure trips or daily commuting between one’s home and workplace. It typically involves travelling - often by air, rail, or road - to attend meetings, conferences, trade shows, or other professional events that require in-person interactions.

Historically, in-person meetings have been viewed as critical for activities such as closing deals, networking, and conducting negotiations. However, advances in digital communication tools over the last few decades have started to reshape this landscape. The rise of videotelephony and other virtual collaboration technologies has made it increasingly feasible to hold effective meetings without requiring employees to travel, causing a recent reduction in business travel.

More recently, widespread adoption of remote work and virtual meeting solutions has further contributed to a reduction in business travel. Despite these shifts, in-person contact remains valuable for complex negotiations, building rapport and certain types of team-building activities. While digital tools will continue to curb unnecessary travel, there will still be a place for face-to-face meetings where personal interaction is pivotal to achieving business objectives.

Jobs involving business travel

In the twenty-first century, many jobs involve periodic or frequent business travel. Common careers involving business travel include:{{Cite web|url=https://cboardinggroup.com/23-jobs-with-travel-the-ultimate-list-of-travel-jobs-that-will-take-you-around-the-world/|title=23 Jobs with Travel - the ultimate list of travel jobs (that will take you around the world)|author=The C. Boarding Group|date=2019-05-09|website=C Boarding Group - Business Travel|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-20}}

Salespeople
Sales engineers
Executives
Field engineers
Project managers
Trainers
Consultants

Additionally, it is common to see doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals flying for work. Some lawyers, politicians, athletes, clergy, military, academics, and journalists conduct business travel on a regular basis. Many organisations require their staff to take account of a travel policy when deciding whether, how, and at what cost to travel for business. Such a policy is derived from both the organisation's policies on expenditure and value for money, and the exercise of its duty of care to its staff.H M Treasury Group, [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224100/hmt_group_travel_and_subsistence_policy.pdf HM Treasury Group – travel and expenses policy], sections 2.1 and 2.2, published June 2013, accessed 5 March 2023 The contribution of corporate travel policies to employees' job satisfaction has been noted by travel management and HR professionals.{{Cite web |title=2022 Corporate Travel Leaders Outlook |url=https://resources.cirium.com/2022-corporate-travel-leaders-outlook |access-date=2022-06-02 |website=Cirium |language=en}} Whilst management approval for travel may be important in many businesses, it has been noted that some organizations are relaxing or ending the requirement for pre-trip approval.{{rp|Page 2}}

Negatives to business travel

Employees who travel for work on a regular basis often experience loneliness, depression, and reduced mental health. In 2019, 1 in 5 business travelers reported business travel negatively affected their mental health.{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesstravelnews.com/Management/Study-More-than-20-Percent-of-Business-Travelers-Cite-Negative-Mental-Health-Effects|title=Study: More than 20 Percent of Business Travelers Cite Negative Mental Health Effects: Business Travel News|website=www.businesstravelnews.com|language=en|access-date=2020-01-20}}

Additionally, being away from home for extended periods can cause travellers to miss important family events, adding stress to personal relationships. This constant travel can disrupt not only personal lives but also impact physical health, as maintaining a consistent and healthy routine becomes challenging on the road. These factors combine to potentially decrease job satisfaction and overall productivity.

Positives to business travel

Business travel has many positive benefits for employees, the largest being the opportunity to see parts of the world at the company's expense. {{Cite web|url=https://www.fair-point.com/en/blog/30-important-business-travel-stats-and-facts?id=67|title=30+ Important Business Travel Stats and Facts|last=Evtimova|first=Iskra|website=Fair Point Gmbh|language=en|access-date=2022-09-29}} Today, many business travellers incorporate bleisure travel into their work travel.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahlandrum/2017/10/27/how-millennials-are-redefining-business-travel/|title=How Millennials Are Redefining Business Travel|last=Landrum|first=Sarah|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2020-01-20}} Studies on cases imply performance increases during travel.{{cite journal |last1=Zak |first1=Uri |title=The performance advantage of traveling |journal=Journal of Economic Psychology |date=28 August 2021 |volume=87 |page=102431 |doi=10.1016/j.joep.2021.102431 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167487021000635}} According to a survey, 88% of small business owners enjoy business travel.{{cite web |last1=Haileyesus |first1=Samson |title=88% of Small Business Owners Enjoy Business Travel |url=https://smallbiztrends.com/2020/01/small-business-travel-statistics.html |website=Small Business Trends |publisher=Samson Haileyesus |date=12 January 2020}}

Many travel providers offer business travel ancillary services such as airport parking, hotel, airport transfers, and lounge access, to enhance the comfort and convenience of air travel.

References

Bibliography

{{citation |title=Business Travel: Conferences, Incentive Travel, Exhibitions, Corporate Hospitality, and Corporate Travel |first1=Rob |last1=Davidson |first2=Beulah |last2=Cope |publisher=Pearson Education |year=2003 |isbn=9780582404441}}
{{citation |title=International Business Travel in the Global Economy |first1=Jonathan |last1=Beaverstock |first2=Ben |last2=Derudder | last3=Faulconbridge |last4=Witlox |publisher=Ashgate Publishing |year=2012 |isbn=9781409488439}}
{{citation |title=Business Travel and Tourism |first1=John |last1=Swarbrooke |first2=Susan |last2=Horner |publisher=Routledge |year=2012 |isbn=9781136423062}}

External links

[https://resources.cirium.com/2022-corporate-travel-leaders-outlook Corporate Travel Leader's Outlook] report on how business travel has been changing since the height of the pandemic.

Category:Types of travel