Chapter one The state of UK business travel

It’s clear that the appetite for business travel is stronger than ever, creating an immense opportunity for travel managers to prove the strategic value of their programmes.

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But while demand is strong, so are the costs

86%

of UK travellers say their business trips are worthwhile, and 74% took between one and five trips in the past year.1

£865

the average cost of a business trip, with global spend projected to reach £1.2 trillion by 2025 (GBTA).

Ground travel: The employee take

44%

of UK organisations include ground travel in their travel policy (compared to 63% for air and 66% for rail).

92%

allow it at least sometimes.

10%

of employees travel for work at least once a fortnight.

25%

travel one to two times a week.

78%

of employees routinely use two or more ride-hailing apps* to minimise wait times.

40%

of home–office trips and more than a third of client meetings are arranged by executive assistants, travel, or office managers.

Ground travel: The managerial lens

48%

of managers allow employees to choose any ground travel mode, and only 4% have formal ride-hailing partnerships.

92%

of managers suggest preferred channels, often pointing to local PH firms (50%) and ride-hailing apps (41%).

33%

say preferred vendors aren’t used, and 21% even see fraud or policy breaches.

54%

of managers say tracking costs is a struggle, and 59% report tangled expense records.

Key Takeaway:

Ground travel is the most under-managed part of business travel, and also the area with the most opportunity. By bringing structure and visibility to everyday journeys, travel managers can unlock efficiency and provide a better experience for everyone on the move.

Introduction

See previous chapter

Cost, comfort, and competing priorities

See next chapter