Business Traveler Satisfaction Varies By Country

Recently, the first ever GBTA Global Business Traveler Sentiment Index™ in partnership with American Express revealed how business travelers across the globe feel about their travel experience and how those feelings affect their actual behaviors related to travel. This first global report showcased many differences (but also some similarities) between the countries surveyed for the study: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, United Kingdom and the United States.

Safety — Among the encouraging safety findings, travelers from Australia (73 percent) and Mexico (71 percent) are the most likely to feel business travel overall is very safe, followed by Canada, the UK and the U.S. (66 percent, 64 percent and 63 percent, respectively). Conversely, fewer travelers from Brazil, Germany, and Japan feel as high a level of safety when it comes to business travel (53 percent, 44 percent and 35 percent, respectively).

Location Technology – Location technologies like GPS navigational tools can help business travelers, locate nearby services (e.g., stores, restaurants, service providers, etc.). Travelers globally expressed high interest in these tools. Interest is highest among travelers in Mexico (82 percent), Brazil (74 percent) and the U.S. (70 percent), compared to travelers in the other surveyed countries. Among travelers that gave a neutral or positive response, in general, they are most interested in using GPS to help locate restaurants, meeting venues, lodging and airports.

Social Media – Business travelers in Mexico and Brazil, the two Latin American countries included in this study, have had more success than travelers from other countries in leveraging social media to connect with friends and colleagues when traveling for work, and finding reviews about suppliers.

This information showing differences across countries helps to highlight that companies may need to apply different policies across countries. Regardless of where a business traveler resides, however, the Index reveals that Overall Trip Experience and Travel Friction has the largest impact on business travel experience, showing the need for most immediate attention. The Index can be used as a road-map for improving business travel across the globe.