Hotels that don’t provide fitness facilities risk being overlooked by corporate travel and meetings bookers, according to a new survey.
Some 73% of business travellers think it is “very” important for them to be able to exercise while away on business, while the remaining 27% said it was “fairly” important.
As travellers’ preferences inevitably influence the booking decision, hotels with fitness facilities are likely to do better in the corporate segment, according to Anita Lowe, CEO of Venues Event Management, which carried out the survey.
She said: “The recognition of the psychological and physical contribution of endorphin-inducing workouts to executive staying power is driving business traveller preferences for hotels with exercise facilities.
“Properties who ignore this trend are increasingly finding themselves low on the list of accommodation options.”
All 22 of those surveyed agreed that working out is a key way to manage stress while on the road.
Some 20% of respondents also felt that expectations of exceptional performance due to the recession had raised awareness of the importance of maintaining fitness while travelling.
One of the respondents said: “Routine exercise when I’m travelling definitely helps me perform better as a leader and helps me cope with the burden of travel and adjusting to time changes and jet lag.”
Another warned that senior executives should start to drive improved fitness in their organisations – “easily said, not easily done,” he said.