Crowdsourced insights on business travel

Overview

Authorities around the world are increasing their focus on business travellers, placing greater scrutiny on them and their employers.

Within this insight, we took an innovative crowd-based approach that leveraged an AI-powered platform to target cross border business travellers working in companies with more than 5,000 employees. Our survey covered all aspects of business travellers’ experiences, including difficulties obtaining visas or passing through immigration border controls. To give representation in each geographic region, we selected 9 countries (i.e. Brazil, China, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, UK and US). We captured both quantitative and real-time insight by asking participants to submit photos and videos relating to their business travel experiences.

Insight highlights

• 51% of business travellers had no awareness of any compliance issues relating to their trips or had even completed pre-travel assessments. 
• 40% of our participants had no idea whether their company have a business traveller policy in place. 
• More than 1 in 4 of our participants experienced difficulties during their business trip, largely at the point of entry to the destination country, either due to security, customs or immigration.

Our research has brought to light the need to treat business traveller population with an individual level of care, which reflects the fact that no employee’s situation is the same as their colleagues.

The key is to have a robust business travel programme in place that is proactively managed and improved. Further, Global Mobility leaders should educate their employees regarding risks and compliance obligations associated with business travel, including their company’s policy on taxes, business traveller payroll and immigration processes.

At the same time, the travellers themselves have a duty to properly digest the information they are given prior to travel. Only when all of this taken into consideration will real business travel compliance be achieved.