Top Five Expectations of Canadian Business Travellers in 2021

The survey of 3,850 business travellers in 25 global markets included 250 within Canada. The top five Canadian findings include:

1. Canadian travellers are ready to get back in the air.

Nearly nine in 10 Canadian business travellers are ready to resume travel in the next 12 months (89 per cent) and get back to what they do best, including three in five who are very willing (59 per cent). This is driven by travellers' belief that they will suffer if their company does not increase business travel in the next year.

However, to feel comfortable, they expect increased flexibility, marking changes in how they travel and do business. In fact, Canadian travellers are looking to mix time in the air with time off. A surprising 92 per cent plan to add leisure travel to their business trips in the next 12 months. In fact, 50 per cent say they'll do so a quarter or more of the time (compared to 38 per cent globally).

2. Canadian travellers worry failing to resume travel will hurt their career and their lives.

For many, business travel is tied to their career success and fulfillment-so much so that more than three-quarters of Canadian business travellers worry the inability to increase business travel will affect them personally (76 per cent). Their personal career concerns include difficulty developing and maintaining business connections (49 per cent), not advancing in their career (33 per cent) and making less money (26 per cent). In fact, an alarming 85 per cent* of female business travellers fear personal or professional consequences if they don't increase business travel in the coming year, significantly more than the 70 per cent* of men who say the same.

As a result, almost two-thirds of Canadian business travellers (63 per cent) say they are driving the return to the skies rather than their company-largely in part because they view their trips as opportunities to strengthen business relationships and broaden their horizons, and almost half of Canadian business want to make personal connections with customers and colleagues (49 per cent).

3. Flexibility is a top driver for Canadian business travellers.

In a key departure from the narrative of the previous year, 73 per cent of Canadian business travellers rank flexibility as a top-consideration for business travel, well ahead of vaccination-related demands at 65 per cent. This includes everything from planning through the completion of their trips: business travellers cite being able to select their preferred accommodations (51 per cent) and mode of travel (37 per cent) as essential travel perks. Findings suggest structured policies are not an issue for business travellers-provided those policies are up to date. Those whose company has a mandated travel policy (54 per cent) or guidelines (32 per cent) also see the ability to book travel directly on supplier websites as an essential benefit.

4. Canadian business travellers do not want COVID-19 travel policies to stay in place.

Nearly 3 in 4 Canadian business travellers (73 per cent) do not want their company to return to pre-COVID-19 policy. A third (33 per cent) expect their company to adjust by allowing modifications to policies for health and safety. Business travellers with mandated policies (69 per cent) or guidelines (51 per cent) want looser restrictions. With greater flexibility, among other adjustments, they'd take trips closer to home (38 per cent and 41 per cent, respectively), stay at larger hotels (33 per cent and 35 per cent) and use their own car or rental instead of public transportation (40 per cent and 24 per cent).

5. Safety remains a priority, but Canadian travellers feel it's a shared responsibility.

Last year, more than one in three business travellers held themselves most accountable for their health and safety on a trip (33 per cent), followed by the transportation providers (19 per cent) and their employer (14 per cent). Now, after experiencing the pandemic, one in four hold themselves most responsible (25 per cent), followed by their company's travel agency (21 per cent) and their employer (19 per cent).

Canadian business travellers say prior to the trip-as they plan and organize all their bookings and safety protocols-is wearing on them: More than two in five Canadian business travellers (45 per cent) say the most stressful stage of the business trip comes before the trip itself suggesting travellers need more support and more solutions for planning their trips.

*Small base size; findings are directional.

For more information, download the Canadian addendum and Global Business Traveller whitepapers.

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 travellers defined as those who travel for business three or more times annually from the following markets: U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, LAC (Colombia, Chile, Peru, and Argentina), UK, France, Germany, ANZ region (Australia and New Zealand), SEA 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. Additionally, Wakefield Research surveyed 700 travel managers from the following markets: U.S., Mexico, UK, France, Germany, SEA region (Singapore and Malaysia), and Hong Kong. Both surveys took place April - May 2021. For the interviews conducted in this study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 1.6 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.