The Global Business Travel Association, in partnership with American Express, released its debut Global Business Traveler Sentiment Index on Thursday, revealing how business travelers’ attitudes vary by region along with a handful of other key findings.
More than 3,800 respondents from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the UK and the U.S. qualified for the study, which was conducted between March 17 and April 6, 2015.
Without a doubt, the main takeaway from the GBTA’s research is technology’s impact on the overall business travel experience.
“A massive technological transformation is changing the face of business travel,” said GBTA Foundation vice president Joseph Bates in a statement. “At the heart of this radical disruption is Wi-Fi, which has become the indispensible technology for travelers. Wi-Fi and mobile technologies allow travelers to stay connected whether in their hotel rooms, at the airport, or at 30,000 feet. This transformation will only accelerate, and business travelers will demand always-on connectivity and mobile applications that allow them to stay in touch 24/7.”
More than half of respondents from each region were in agreement that Wi-Fi is “vital to their work productivity.” Mexico (90 percent) led the way, followed by Brazil (87 percent), Canada (83 percent), the U.S. (81 percent), the U.K. (80 percent), Australia (75 percent), Germany (70 percent) and Japan (52 percent).
The study also uncovered the most prevalent pain points business travelers often dread.
“While most travelers are significantly satisfied with their trip experience, a few areas have emerged as significant pain points,” said Bates. “This includes airline fees, getting through security, ensuring convenient flight schedules, rewards points that don’t expire and having adequate Wi-Fi connectivity.”
Nonetheless, the GBTA study showed that overall satisfaction with the current state of business travel varies by country and region. Road warriors from Mexico tend to be the most satisfied, while Japanese business travelers were found to be the least satisfied.
[“source – travelpulse.com”]
