Q.
Work Trip. But make it Succession, The Diplomat, Emily in Paris, Suits.

The bad news? You’ll be travelling with your psychopathic Dad Boss, treacherous, traumatized siblings, duplicitous husband, client-friend whose boyfriend you secretly love, or the congenitally suspicious overling who doesn’t know you faked your entire Harvard Law School education.

But…you’ll be getting from here to there in a stealth helicopter, private jet, shiny town car, or vintage convertible Peugeot. Private chefs will scurry about fulfilling your every whim. And when it comes time to rest your weary head, you’ll do so in the plushest of 9 star manses or an ‘if you have to ask’ hotel.

Will you go? Will you take the ‘upgrade’ to extreme drama + luxe?

In thinking about business travel – Is it adventure? Is it missing home? –  the 2012 Travelodge study survey from the UK always jumps to mind. Driven by a constant need to reunite forgotten Teddy bears with their owners, this hotel chain asked 6,000 adult Brits: ‘what’s in your suitcase?’

25% of the male respondents admitted that they take a teddy bear or other stuffed buddy with them when they are travelling for business. It’s another day in another city, Mr. Polkadot. 🧸

Even with all of their streamerly luxe, one could imagine many from Succession, The Diplomat, Emily in Paris, and Suits needing a Mr. Polkadot on their work trips. Hold on tight to that Teddy bear. But these full-time fancy characters are far less likely to face the workaday travel challenges many of us know so well.

Overall, what kind of challenges do people dread most on work trips? How could employers help mitigate these stressors for their people?

A.

In a 2024 Travel Study, Blue Cross surveyed a diverse mix of 2,047 Canadian Adults …

.Key Travel Challenges You Have Faced On Trips. 2024 Survey
i. Airline cancelling or changing your flight – 31%
ii. Lost baggage – 20%
iii. Damaged baggage -17%
iv. Need for medical attention or treatment – 13%
v. Having to cancel all or part of trip – 13%
vi. Hotel/accommodation cancelling, losing, or changing reservation – 10%
vii. Stolen baggage – 4%
viii. None of the above – 42% 🍀

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What else have researchers learned about business traveller priorities and experiences?

From a September 2023 poll of 3,850 business travellers from 32 countries, SAP Concur Global report that:
• 89% are looking to take extra steps to reduce the environmental impact of their work trips
• 86% say that economic uncertainty has affected work travel plans
• 40% report that their company has cut travel budgets
• 33% note that their companies are placing them in lower quality lodgings +/or less safe areas
• 53% have changed accommodations because of safety concerns
• 23% have felt that they were in immediate danger while on a business trip

What steps do employees take to enhance their work trip enjoyment? One word comes up over and over again: bleisure.

• In their 2024 Annual Travel Outlook Survey, IMG report that of the 50% of respondents who are planning to travel for work, 78% are going to make it a bleisure trip. That is, they’ll look for ways to squeeze in personal vacation days before or after the work. Understandable given economic pressures and rising travel costs!

• Visit Anaheim, in their 2022 survey of 2,000 adults, found that 65% of respondents say that it’s ok to bring a personal tagalong on a work trip as long as they don’t get in the way of tasks. 57% look for work trips that will be appealing to their families, friends, or significant others.

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And what are people hoping to get out of the leisure part of their bleisure trips?

Benefits of Leisure Travel. 2024. Blue Cross Travel Study
i. Time to recharge – 73%
ii. Improves mental health overall – 68%
iii. Improved health – 48%
iv. Reduced burnout – 46%
v. Strengthens relationships – 37%
vi. More engaged when back at work – 24%
vii. Increased creativity – 20%
viii. Increased productivity – 19%
ix. Accomplishing more in less time – 7%
x. None of these – 4%

www.justcurious.ca

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Photos: Nick Fancher