99% Indian business travellers want to resume work trips

bout 99 per cent of Indian business travellers aim to resume work trips within the next 12 months, a new study showed on Monday. Over 78 per cent are “very willing” to get back on work trips which is higher than the global average.

The study commissioned by SAP Concur Respondents was carried out in India, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. While professionals are eager to restart in-person meetings soon, they also want greater control over how they will travel, so that their safety and health can be better safeguarded amidst the pandemic.

“While uncertainty continues to linger around travel curbs, firms can support business travellers by updating travel policies to provide more flexibility in flight and accommodation selection, better protecting employees’ health and safety. Then as vaccinations progress and travel bubbles form in the coming months, they will be better positioned to enable safe travel, facilitating business growth and talent retention,” Carl Jones, Vice President and Head of Strategy for SAP Concur Asia Pacific, said in a statement.

Travellers believe inability to travel will hurt them both professionally as well as personally like their global counterparts, over 84 per cent Indian business persons worry that the inability to increase travel will affect them personally.

These concerns include: the difficulty in developing and maintaining business connections (59 per cent in India compared to 45 per cent globally), not advancing in their career (43 per cent compared to 33 per cent globally) and making less money (40 per cent compared to 38 per cent globally).

On the business front, Indian respondents worry that if their organisation does not increase business travel, it will be difficult to sign new deals (47 per cent), build new relationships (41 per cent), and renew contracts with existing clients (43 per cent).