The changing face of business travel

Like all forms of travel, business trips took a major hit during the pandemic. With air traffic ground to a halt and many businesses encouraging remote work, the shift to virtual meetings via apps like Zoom and Teams became the new normal. So what does the business travel landscape look like post-pandemic?

A Mastercard survey from 2023 revealed that despite the rise of virtual meetings during the pandemic, corporate travel is still highly valued. Nine out of 10 respondents said they still considered business travel essential for driving growth, with over half of them willing to spend more than US$1 billion on travel in 2025.

Claire McKinnon, Director of Global Insurance and Key Partners at Healix, stated: “Post-pandemic travel has been returning in significant numbers since 2022.”

A Research and Markets report, Key Trends in Business Travel 2024, revealed that outbound business trips in 2023 saw a 68.95% increase compared with 2022, climbing from 103.3 million to 174.23 million trips. Although this marks a strong recovery, the numbers remained below pre-pandemic levels; however, analysts predicted a full rebound by 2024. Looking ahead, they projected further growth, anticipating that outbound business trips could reach 276.63 million by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.69% from 2023–28.

Meeting employee expectations: comprehensive coverage and safety first

As business travel picks up again, how do employees feel about hitting the road? According to SAP Concur’s Global Business Travellers Report 2024, 67% of business travellers viewed work-related travel as essential to their careers, and 51% expressed enjoyment for such trips.

However, despite the positive outlook from the majority, SAP Concur revealed that 92% of those surveyed would be prepared to decline trips if they were concerned about safety, social issues, environmental impact, or work-life balance.

Kate Fitzpatrick, Regional Security Director, EMEA at World Travel Protection, emphasised: “The pandemic has underscored the critical importance of proactive duty of care. Employees are asking more questions about their travel safety and want to know, for instance, how they will get home in a crisis situation. They expect comprehensive support from their companies, with a clear priority placed on their safety, health, and wellbeing while travelling.” 

The pandemic has underscored the critical importance of proactive duty of care

McKinnon agreed that employees today expect their safety to be a top priority. “Employees have higher expectations of their companies when they are sent on a work assignment abroad, whether it is short term, for longer periods, or even working as an expatriate,” she said. “Employees have long expected their company to fulfil its duty of care for them while abroad, but now they expect that the risks of travel have been mitigated through full travel risk management.”

From an employer’s perspective, McKinnon noted that companies are becoming increasingly mindful of ISO 31030. This international framework for managing risks associated with business travel helps organisations identify, assess, and mitigate various travel-related risks, ensuring a strong duty of care for their employees.

“Healix understands the guidelines and we work with many companies on a direct basis to ensure best practice in this area. We provide practical support and guidance to help establish and embed travel risk management programmes within their organisation,” she said.

Fitzpatrick highlighted the findings from World Travel Protection’s 2024 survey conducted by Opinium, involving 500 business travellers who travel for business at least once a year in the UK, the US, Canada and Australia. She revealed that 58% of respondents felt that their companies took business travel risks more seriously than before. However, she noted, “51% believe their employers could still do more to ensure their safety while travelling. These statistics highlight the growing demand for robust business travel policies that address these concerns effectively.”

Supporting this, McKinnon stressed: “The business travel insurance product is an absolute expectation, with employers seeking out policies that offer additional benefits to keep their policies up to date, including a travel app, e-learning, online GP services, mental health support, and counselling.”

As well as providing these comprehensive services, Fitzpatrick emphasised that preparation is key to ensuring a successful travel experience for employees. She explained that this includes giving comprehensive pre-travel briefings to make sure travellers are well prepared before departure and fully informed about where to seek support during their trip.