Top five expectations of Canadian business travelers in 2021

1. Canadian travelers are ready to take to the skies.

Almost nine in ten Canadian business travelers are ready to resume their trip in the next 12 months (89%) and resume what they do best, including three in five who are very willing (59%). This is driven by the belief of travelers that they will suffer if their business does not increase business travel over the next year.

However, to feel comfortable, they expect increased flexibility, marking changes in the way they travel and do business. In fact, Canadian travelers seek to combine time in the air with free time. A surprising 92 percent plan to add leisure travel to their business travel in the next 12 months. In fact, 50 percent say they will do it a quarter or more of the time (compared to 38 percent globally).

2. Canadian travelers fear that not resuming their trips will harm their careers and their lives.

For many, business travel is linked to the success and growth of their careers, so much so that more than three-quarters of Canadian business travelers fear that the inability to increase business travel affects personally (76%). Their personal career concerns include difficulty developing and maintaining business relationships (49%), not progressing in their career (33%), and making less money (26%). In fact, 85% * of women on business trips fear personal or professional consequences if they do not increase their business trips in the coming year, far more than the 70% * of men who say the same thing.

As a result, almost two-thirds of Canadian business travelers (63%) say they are the engine of the return to the sky rather than their business, in large part because they see their trips as opportunities to strengthen their business relationships and broaden their horizons, and almost half of Canadian companies wish to establish personal connections with clients and colleagues (49 percent).

3. Flexibility is one of the main drivers of Canadian business travelers.

In a key departure from the narrative of the last year73 percent of Canadian business travelers rank flexibility as a primary consideration for business travel, well ahead of immunization-related demands at 65 percent. This includes everything from planning to completing their trips: Business travelers cite the ability to choose their preferred accommodation (51%) and mode of travel (37%) as key travel benefits. The results suggest that structured policies are not a problem for business travelers, provided these policies are up to date. Those whose company has a mandatory travel policy (54 percent) or guidelines (32 percent) also see the ability to book travel directly through supplier websites as a key benefit.

4. Canadian business travelers don’t want COVID-19 travel policies to stay in place.

Almost 3 in 4 Canadian business travelers (73%) do not want their business to revert to pre-COVID-19 policy. One-third (33%) expect their business to adapt by allowing changes to health and safety policies. Business travelers with mandatory policies (69 percent) or guidelines (51 percent) want more flexible restrictions. With greater flexibility, among other adjustments, they would make trips closer to home (38 percent and 41 percent, respectively), stay in larger hotels (33 percent and 35 percent), and use their own. car or rental instead of public transport (40 percent and 24 percent).

5. Safety remains a priority, but Canadian travelers see it as a shared responsibility.

Last year, more than one in three business travelers considered themselves most responsible for their health and safety while traveling (33%), followed by transportation providers (19%) and their employer (14%). Today, after experiencing the pandemic, one in four considers themselves the most responsible (25%), followed by their company’s travel agency (21%) and their employer (19%).

Canadian business travelers say that before travel, as they plan and organize all their reservations and security protocols, they tire them out: more than two in five Canadian business travelers (45%) say the most stressful part of the business trip comes before the trip itself suggesting that travelers need more support and more solutions to plan their trips.

* Small base size; the results are directional.

For more information, download the Canadian additive and Global business traveler white papers.

The survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com), a leading independent provider of quantitative, qualitative and hybrid market research, among 3,850 business travelers defined as those who travel for business at least three times per year in the following markets: United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, BAC (Colombia, Chile, Peru, and Argentina), UK, France, Germany, ANZ region (Australia and New Zealand), MER region (Singapore and Malaysia), China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, India, Korea, Italy, Spain, Dubai, Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg), South Africa, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. In addition, Wakefield Research surveyed 700 travel managers from the following markets: United States, Mexico, UK, France, Germany, MER region (Singapore and Malaysia), and Hong Kong. Both polls took place in April – May 2021. For the interviews conducted in this study, the odds are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, more or less, by more than 1.6 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if the interviews had been conducted. with all the people in the universe. represented by the sample.

About SAP Concur
SAP^® OK^® is the world’s leading brand of integrated travel, expense and invoice management solutions, driven by a relentless quest to simplify and automate these daily processes. The popular SAP Concur mobile app guides employees through their business trips, expenses are entered directly into expense reports and invoice approvals are automated. By integrating near real-time data and using AI to analyze transactions, businesses can see what they’re spending, help ensure compliance, and avoid potential blind spots in the budget. SAP Concur solutions help eliminate the tedious tasks of yesterday, make today’s work easier, and help businesses run their best. Learn more at concur.com or on the SAP Concur blog.

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