Latest results from the 11th Barclaycard Business Survey reveal business travel is continuing to grow, despite advancements in communication technology, pressures on company budgets and growing concern for the environment.
An overwhelming 79% said their company benefits from business travel, with only 3% saying the same success could have been achieved without it.
Almost half (44%) of the business travellers who participated in the survey said they travelled more in 2006 than in the previous year, 50% of whom cited company expansion in the UK or abroad as their reason for travel.
The survey revealed that people continue to travel long distances on business, with one in five respondents covering more than 500 miles (805km) per week and 16% up to 1,000 miles a week.
”It is clear that despite modern communications such as video conferencing, people still believe that travel is an essential part of business,” said Barclaycard Business commercial director of issuing, Denise Leleux. ”The vast majority of business people accept that travelling is still efficient and effective and that without it they could not produce the same results.”
When it comes to choosing accommodation for business travel, a mere 3% of the 4,000 survey respondents said they base their choice on company travel policy. Location appears to be the most important deciding factor, with 75% saying they choose their hotel for where it is above the services provided (15%), or the cost (23%).
Fewer business travellers appear to be choosing budget accommodation over pricier hotels, with 42% saying this was due to location of the cheaper options, followed closely by lack of facilities on offer (39%).
”Although a fair number of business executives are willing or constrained to stay in cheaper accommodation whilst on business, the availability of better location and facilities elsewhere is becoming increasingly significant when making the decision about where to stay,” explained Leleux.