Most business travellers in Europe’s major markets would like to see more incentives provided to encourage multi-modal journeys, according to new research by Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
The survey of 4,000 corporate travellers in the UK, France, Germany and Spain found that more than half (53 per cent) of those who drive for business would like to see their organisations make it easier for them to use a mixture of transport services on their trips.
An even higher number (88 per cent) believe that they or their employer should be incentivised to take multi-modal journeys through tax breaks or other similar rewards.
The Enterprise study also showed that around half of companies (56 per cent) are not currently encouraging multi-modal travel, which is seen as one of the best ways to improve sustainability and reduce emissions from corporate travel.
Respondents were also more likely to take their own multi-modal leisure trips (34 per cent) than when travelling on business (21 per cent) when there was more reliance on employees using private cars for work trips (55 per cent of all journeys).
The main reasons for travellers using a mixture of transport services were because they were less expensive (31 per cent), quicker (27 per cent) and more environmentally friendly (21 per cent).
The research also revealed that so-called Generation Z workers (those born between 1996 and 2015) were the most enthusiastic about multi-modal travel, with 88 per cent at least one of these journeys in the past year. This figure dropped to just 61 per cent for the Baby Boomer generation (born before 1964).
Oz Choudhri, head of mobility solutions at Enterprise, added: “The private car still has a role to play in business travel, but there is an opportunity to increase multi-modal journeys, as today nearly six out of ten work trips are being made in private cars.
“Companies may be missing out on opportunities to reduce costs, risk and environmental impact while improving employee retention by giving more flexible, accessible and affordable mobility options.”