- Hotels.com: Americans taking more work trips.
- Business travelers average 10 work-trip nights.
- Gen Z takes more work trips than others.
HOTELS.COM REPORTS 37 percent of Americans are traveling more for work than before the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. business travelers average 10 nights of work trips a year, with technology workers and tradespeople among the most frequent.
The booking site’s latest “Booked for Business” study found that technology workers and tradespeople average five to six work trips a year. Technology workers travel 50 percent more than before the pandemic and have an average hotel budget of $264 per night, compared with $236 for business travelers overall.
“Business travel is no longer just about getting from one meeting to the next,” said Melanie Fish, Hotels.com vice president of global public relations.
Finance workers report the highest daily travel allowance at $134, followed by technology workers at $131 and energy and renewables workers at $127, the study said. The average is $115 a day, while government workers report the lowest at less than $79.
Business and leisure travel are converging, with 63 percent of U.S. travelers saying business destinations should make it easy to combine work and leisure, Hotels.com found. New York, Los Angeles and Miami rank as the top U.S. destinations, while June and September are the busiest months for business trips.
U.S. travelers prioritize hotel benefits, the study said. Free breakfast ranks first at 49 percent, followed by loyalty rewards at 39 percent and flexible check-in at 37 percent.
The report also found that 56 percent of U.S. travelers show a different side of their personality on work trips, rising to 69 percent among Gen Z. Some 58 percent wake earlier on work trips than on leisure trips, while 58 percent say they are always punctual when traveling for work.
Gen Z travels for work more than any other generation and is more likely to change behavior on the road, use hotel laundry services and switch hotel brands, the report said. Boomers are more likely to be punctual and loyal to hotel brands.
Meanwhile, Hotels.com launched a business-travel service in the U.S. and other markets, letting travelers save work-trip preferences, find business-ready hotels, rebook stays through Quick Rebook and earn rewards on eligible trips.
A recent report by Hyatt Hotels Corp. found that hotel rooms have become business travelers’ last escape. About 90 percent say their hotel room is the only place they feel off the clock during a work trip.
