About 99 percent of Indian business travelers aim to resume work trips within the next 12 months, a new study showed on Monday.
Over 78 percent are “very willing” to get back on work trips which are higher than the global average.
The study commissioned by SAP Concur Respondents was carried out in India, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
While professionals are eager to restart in-person meetings soon, they also want greater control over how they will travel so that their safety and health can be better safeguarded amidst the pandemic.
“While uncertainty continues to linger around travel curbs, firms can support business travellers by updating travel policies to provide more flexibility in flight and accommodation selection, better protecting employees’ health and safety. Then as vaccinations progress and travel bubbles form in the coming months, they will be better positioned to enable safe travel, facilitating business growth and talent retention,” Carl Jones, Vice President and Head of Strategy for SAP Concur Asia Pacific, said in a statement.
Travelers believe the inability to travel will hurt them both professionally as well as personally like their global counterparts, over 84 percent of Indian businesspersons worry that the inability to increase travel will affect them personally.
These concerns include the difficulty in developing and maintaining business connections (59 percent in India compared to 45 percent globally), not advancing in their career (43 percent compared to 33 percent globally), and making less money (40 percent compared to 38 percent globally).
On the business front, Indian respondents worry that if their organization does not increase business travel, it will be difficult to sign new deals (47 percent), build new relationships (41 percent), and renew contracts with existing clients (43 percent). Overall, 9 percent are afraid their business will shut down in the Asia-Pacific region, and 14 percent worry that they will lose their jobs.
