Three-quarters of business travelers enjoy spending time away from home

30 April, 2007

A new survey has shown that about three-quarters of all business travelers enjoy spending time away from home for business purposes.

The research findings of the 11th Barclaycard Business Travel Survey also reveal that 15% of employees stay away from home for work for between five and ten days a month.

Another 44% of respondents said they are travelling on business significantly in 2007 more than they did in 2006.

Out of those who said they enjoy business travel, over half cited their reasons as being able to see the world and being able to have a more diverse working life – with 15% saying that they have purposefully planned business trips just so they can travel to a particular destination.

According to Denise Leleux, director of commercial cards for Barclaycard Business, traveling for business can be an exciting part of any job; it adds variety and offers opportunities to see new places and experience different working cultures.

Earlier in April 2007, Barclaycard Business revealed other survey findings suggesting that 96% of business travelers feel safe when on a flight, despite an increase in terrorist threats.


The survey found that one in seven employees spends between five and 10 nights away from home every month, but almost three-quarters of them are keen on the trip, combining work with pleasure.

The survey findings in a nutshell

Of the 72% that enjoy business travel:

• Over 50% say business travel gives them a chance to see the world.
• 55% love the variety it offers.
• 51% like the fact that it allows them to experience new cultures.
• Over 30% say they have timed work trips to coincide with meeting a partner.
• 15% admitted to organising a business trip to see a particular destination.
• Only 12% of people said that they suffered from stress while traveling.

However, with nearly 45% of respondents travelling more than they did in 2006, Denise Leleux has asked business to think about the environmental effects of business travel. Increased travel, he says, will undoubtedly have an impact on the environment and it is vital that employers, business travellers and the industry as a whole work together to ensure that this impact is managed and minimised wherever possible.