87% of those who find travelling for business stressful claim to lose at least one hour of productive time once they arrive due to the impact of this stress. As business travel bounces back, with the sector poised to hit a record spending high by year-end, a new report, “Premium experiences meet productivity: the changing face of travel and work”, uncovers the impact that travel planning is having on business travellers’ productivity.
With 85% of UK businesses looking to maintain or increase business travel spend over the next year, the report, launched by global chauffeur services provider Blacklane, reveals how the dynamics of business travel are evolving in relation to wellness and productivity, and how the evolution of premium amenities has the potential to improve professional’s overall productivity.
Blacklane’s “Premium Meets Productivity: The Changing Face of Travel and Work” report explores how executives lose productive hours of work as a result fragmented travels. 86% of participants worldwide claimed to have lost at least an hour of productivity time during their trip. This figure rose to 87% in UK. Over a third of UK business travelers (34%) reported losing between 4 and 8 hours, which is equivalent to a whole working day. The impact of travel stress on UK C-level executives was even greater. 38% lost between four and eight productive hours due to travel.
Up to 90% of business travelers combine work and leisure to increase productivity. They also seek out more premium experiences such as travelling with chauffeurs.
Dr. Jens Wohltorf, CEO and Founder at Blacklane, said:
“This report highlights a significant shift in business travel, where enhancing comfort and ensuring safety is not just a perk, but essential for boosting productivity, especially among executives. Understanding these changing expectations is essential for the industry to better serve today’s executive travelers.”
The rise of premium experiences: A key to productivity
Over the past year in the UK, most (59%) business travellers have noticed a reduction in their travel budgets. Two thirds of travellers (62%) say that these cuts have negatively affected their productivity and performance while travelling for business. This number increases to 74% for business owners and 79% for C-level executives. These results provide an opportunity for travel planners who want to maximise productivity on business trips to reconsider their priorities.
Blacklane offers a unique view of the UK travel market. Millions of kilometres are driven by chauffeurs each year across the UK. The morning rush hour is Monday and Friday between 6-8am. These are the most stressful and congested times to travel. Ensure comfort to reduce stress and boost productivity.
The most important factors for business travellers are comfort, convenience and arriving on-time (38%). The most popular premium amenities for business travellers are flying in premium or business class (38%), having WiFi access so they can work on the road (37%), and booking private airport transfers (35%) These experiences would not only reduce their stress, but nine out of 10 (89%) people believe that they would actively contribute to their productivity and success while travelling for work.
Where Business Meets Leisure
Bleisure is here to stay after millions of Brits took to the beach to work this summer. Blacklane’s most recent report shows that 86% of respondents have combined work and leisure when travelling for business. In the same way, on business trips, 92% of respondents said they prioritized personal activities and relaxation.
When asked about the appeal of such travel, almost half of respondents (45%) said that they wanted to explore places they visited for business. Meanwhile, 38% said the business aspect of a trip is more exciting. Three quarters (75%) of respondents believe that “bleisure travel” either makes them more efficient or has no negative impact on their work performance. However, there is still a stigma attached to “bleisure”, as one third of respondents (33%) believe that businesses will implement strict rules regarding this type travel in the next 5 years.
Blacklane is dedicated in providing a high-quality experience that meets guests’ needs everywhere and ensures they arrive better. The company offers a portfolio ranging from airport transfers to City-to-City routes connecting metropolitan areas, Chauffeur-by-the-hour services as well as In-city mobility to address all needs and is one of the safest mobility services globally, showcasing 60% less incidents than taxi services.
Blacklane data also shows that weekend mornings are a popular time to travel, with early Saturdays and Sundays trips being comparable to demand during the week. This highlights the growing trend for combining business with leisure.
James Dow, Blacklane UK’s general manager, says:
“Poorly-planned business travel has a dramatic impact on the UK productivity.”
The wellbeing of travellers must be protected. Blacklane supports travellers to ensure that all stages of the journey are high-quality, which means comfortable and reliable, memorable, and most importantly, delivering a business trip in every sense.
