7 in 10 Singapore workers consider business travel as essential for career advancement, but there are 5 reasons they’re avoiding it

SINGAPORE: A recent survey reveals that seven in 10 Singapore workers consider business travel essential for career advancement.

Yet, five key challenges are making such trips less appealing.

1. Frequent travel disruptions

According to Singapore Business Review, the SAP Concur survey found that 95% of business travellers in Singapore faced last-minute changes due to delays, cancellations, or re-routing over the past year.

To manage these disruptions, 98% of travellers are now adding extra time, known as “booking buffers,” at the start or end of their trips.

According to SAP Concur, “Organisations should consider allowing travellers extra turnaround time for each booking, private connecting transport, and adding features to travel management tools to allow easy rebooking when disruptions take place.”

2. Budget cuts affecting business travel

Another challenge is budget cuts affecting business travel, pushing down employees’ willingness to travel. Many companies are reducing their travel budgets, which impacts the growing trend of combining business with leisure travel, or “bleisure.”

The survey reported that over 29% of companies restrict employees from working remotely while travelling for leisure or combining personal and business trips.

As a result, 20% of employees would decline a business trip if they couldn’t extend it for personal use, and 27% would refuse if they couldn’t make adjustments outside of company policy.

3. Safety and political concerns

Safety concerns and political or social issues at travel destinations also play a role. The survey found that 38% of employees are worried about the safety of their destinations, while another 38% shared they’re concerned about political or social instability.

4. Sustainability concerns

The survey also reported that 32% of Singaporean business travellers might turn down a trip if it has a significant environmental impact or lacks sustainable travel options.

Despite 30% of employees cutting back on spending for sustainable travel, many companies still prioritise eco-friendly options.

5. Unequal access to travel opportunities

Unequal access to business travel opportunities based on seniority, age, and gender is also a factor. While 24% of employees feel their seniority affects their travel chances, 16% think age plays a role, and 8% believe gender is a factor.

When it comes to using AI in bookings, while 98% of employees are open to using AI for arranging travel, only 3% are comfortable with AI-enabled booking systems.

However, 95% of employees want more support from their companies, especially on bias prevention, data protection, and protection from consequences if AI bookings clash with company policy. /TISG

Read also: Majority of Singapore workers turning to gig work for flexibility and autonomy are in healthcare and hospitality

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