Ninety four percent of Canadian travellers say the future of their career depends on successful business travel in the coming year. The new research from SAP Concur also reveals that the most pressing challenges facing Canadian business travellers today include economic inflation, job security, and safety concerns.
The annual survey of 3,850 business travellers in 25 global markets serves as an annual touchpoint to assess the realities of the corporate travel landscape.
Top Canadian findings, from among 250 respondents taking part in the survey, include:
Canadians Believe Job Security is Dependent on Business Travel
Even as the logistics of business travel become increasingly subject to economic volatility, 94% of Canadian travellers say the future of their career depends on successful business travel in the coming year. For nearly half of Canadian business travellers, travel is critical for keeping up on the latest trends, technology, and advancements (48%) and establishing relationships with new clients (47%).
“Business travel is the backbone of success for Canadian professionals, with 94% recognizing its impact on their career growth in the year ahead,” says Kristen Hrycoy, Senior Global Partner Business Manager SAP Concur. “Corporate travel plays a vital role in helping workers establish relationships with new clients and build meaningful connections with co-workers. It is imperative for businesses to invest in the right travel and expense management tools to prioritize employee safety, gain better cost control, and create a travel environment that promotes inclusivity and equity for all.”
Economic Volatility
• 96% of Canadian business travellers recognize there are threats to their company’s business travel and more than 2 in 5 (44%) view inflation as among the biggest threats to business travel today, while 33% express the same concern regarding cuts to travel budgets or travel freezes.
• For 91% of Canadian business travellers, the uncertain economy is already affecting their company’s business travel, with the most common impact being reduced travel budgets (47%).
• Many have also seen policy changes that impact the comfort and pleasure of their business travel, including requiring travellers to stay in lower quality accommodations and/or less safe areas (28%) or emphasizing lower airfares despite layovers, indirect routes, or alternative airports (28%)
Danger on the Road
Staying healthy and safe while traveling for business isn’t just a top concern for Canadian travellers; threats to this can be a dealbreaker. The most commonly viewed threat to business travel today is health and safety concerns (51%). Unfortunately, travellers’ fears are well-founded—over a quarter of Canadian business travellers (27%) have experienced a situation on a business trip where they felt they were in immediate danger.
The vast majority of Canadian business travellers at companies with a corporate travel policy (90%) expect their company to allow them to make travel choices that are outside of that policy for reasons like safety, work-life balance, and sustainability. Nearly half expect their employer to allow them to book travel that falls outside of company policy to ensure they feel safe while traveling in certain areas of the world (49%).
Unequal Business Travel Opportunities
A significant disparity exists in the Canadian business travel landscape, with an alarming 67% of business travellers facing unequal opportunities, especially because of their ethnicity or race (22%, compared to 15% globally), their age (21%), their accent (16%), and their gender (16%).
These findings, says the survey, underscore the pressing need to address systemic biases and create a more inclusive and equitable environment for Canadian business travellers.
The survey, conducted by Wakefield Research, took place in April. SAP Concur is a leading global brand for integrated travel, expense, and invoice management.