A new survey among business travelers by Cambria Suites and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Foundation revealed that in-person meetings are important for a company’s bottom line. 75% of road warriors say business trips help their companies grow. Furthermore, work-life balance is important to 9 out of 10 business travelers, but achieving work-life balance is more difficult than ever.
One reason work-life balance is challenging for business travelers is that companies demand greater productivity from business trips. 21% of business travelers surveyed in the study said they are facing greater scrutiny over results from their business trips.
Respondents indicated that increasing productivity on the road is essential to achieving work-life balance. The survey looked at “work-life productivity” and how business travelers can be most efficient on the road. The survey found:
- 56% of business travelers say that the hotel is the most important part of their trip for total productivity — beating out both flight and rental car.
- The top must-have hotel services and amenities for business travelers are a comfortable bed (65%) and free Wi-Fi (62%).
The survey also revealed the top ten cities for helping business travelers achieve “work-life productivity”:
- San Diego (74%) and Seattle (69%) topped the list for the best U.S. cities for business travelers trying to achieve “work-life productivity” on overnight business trips.
- Boston and Chicago (68%) tied for third place, followed by Orlando (67%), San Francisco (66%), Denver (65%), New York (64%), Phoenix (63%) and San Antonio (60%).
Additionally, the survey found that women use technology more than men to stay connected with their personal lives on business trips. In a press release, Cambria Suites explained:
“Women are more likely (plus 13% points) than men to say that social media in particular has enhanced their business travel experience by keeping them in touch with their personal and professional networks (42% compared with 29%). Eight of 10 female business travelers state that technology is just as important in their business and personal life to enhance their overall productivity, compared to 7 of 10 men. The survey also revealed that achieving work-life balance is more important to female road warriors, with 96% of women saying work-life balance is an important goal compared with 82 percent of men.”
How do you maintain work-life balance when you travel for business? Leave a comment and share your tips!
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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