Business travel

For the similarly named television program, see CNN Business Traveller.

Business travel is travel undertaken for work or business purposes, as opposed to other types of travel such as leisure trips or daily commuting between one’s home and workplace. It typically involves travelling - often by air, rail, or road - to attend meetings, conferences, trade shows, or other professional events that require in-person interactions.

Business class seats (pictured aboard an Emirates aircraft) in aircraft usually provide more space and facilities than the standard class.

Historically, in-person meetings have been viewed as critical for activities such as closing deals, networking, and conducting negotiations. However, advances in digital communication tools over the last few decades have started to reshape this landscape. The rise of videotelephony and other virtual collaboration technologies has made it increasingly feasible to hold effective meetings without requiring employees to travel, causing a recent reduction in business travel.

More recently, widespread adoption of remote work and virtual meeting solutions has further contributed to a reduction in business travel. Despite these shifts, in-person contact remains valuable for complex negotiations, building rapport and certain types of team-building activities. While digital tools will continue to curb unnecessary travel, there will still be a place for face-to-face meetings where personal interaction is pivotal to achieving business objectives.

Jobs involving business travel

In the twenty-first century, many jobs involve periodic or frequent business travel. Common careers involving business travel include:^[1]

• Salespeople
• Sales engineers
• Executives
• Field engineers
• Project managers
• Trainers
• Consultants

Additionally, it is common to see doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals flying for work. Some lawyers, politicians, athletes, clergy, military, academics, and journalists conduct business travel on a regular basis. Many organisations require their staff to take account of a travel policy when deciding whether, how, and at what cost to travel for business. Such a policy is derived from both the organisation's policies on expenditure and value for money, and the exercise of its duty of care to its staff.^[2] The contribution of corporate travel policies to employees' job satisfaction has been noted by travel management and HR professionals.^[3] Whilst management approval for travel may be important in many businesses, it has been noted that some organizations are relaxing or ending the requirement for pre-trip approval.^{[3]: Page 2}

Negatives to business travel

Employees who travel for work on a regular basis often experience loneliness, depression, and reduced mental health. In 2019, 1 in 5 business travelers reported business travel negatively affected their mental health.^[4]

Additionally, being away from home for extended periods can cause travellers to miss important family events, adding stress to personal relationships. This constant travel can disrupt not only personal lives but also impact physical health, as maintaining a consistent and healthy routine becomes challenging on the road. These factors combine to potentially decrease job satisfaction and overall productivity.

Positives to business travel

Business travel has many positive benefits for employees, the largest being the opportunity to see parts of the world at the company's expense. ^[5] Today, many business travellers incorporate bleisure travel into their work travel.^[6] Studies on cases imply performance increases during travel.^[7] According to a survey, 88% of small business owners enjoy business travel.^[8]

Many travel providers offer business travel ancillary services such as airport parking, hotel, airport transfers, and lounge access, to enhance the comfort and convenience of air travel.

See also

• Business tourism
• Environmental effects of aviation
• Travel Management Companies