A new survey shows that more than half of SMEs plan to spend more on foreign travel in the coming year

New research shows that spending on business travel in Britain is expected to rise over the next twelve months, with more than half of SMEs planning to spend more on business travel abroad than last year.

The survey found that almost half of respondents cited meeting customers, clients and prospects in person as the main reason for their trip abroad. The top three benefits of such face-to-face interactions were improved collaboration, stronger customer-customer relationships and increased sales/revenue, highlighting the competitive advantages that come with personal engagement.

The top destinations for SME business travel in the next twelve months these will be Europe, followed by North America and the Middle East.

‘Bleisure’ – combining work travel with leisure activities – is now a mainstay of SME travel, with almost half of respondents extending the duration of their business trip with leisure activities at the end. On average, SMEs extend their business trips by 2.46 days, demonstrating a desire to relax and explore a destination once their work commitments are over. In addition, more than two-fifths of respondents take their partners or family members on a trip abroad, combining their professional and personal lives while on a business trip.

As SMEs expect to both travel and spend more, the research suggests that sustainability is becoming an increasingly important consideration when setting travel policies and purchasing decisions. More than half of respondents say their company is taking steps to implement more sustainable business travel. These include scheduling multiple meetings in the same trip where possible to reduce the number of flights taken, choosing transportation providers or hotels that prioritize sustainability, and booking direct flights rather than multi-leg options to reduce carbon emissions to help reduce.

Kieran Hartwell, Managing Director of Travel advisors for business, who commissioned the research, commented: “Our research shows that, despite economic pressures, UK SMEs are planning to spend more on their overseas travel, underlining the power and value of face-to-face face connections and business relationships that champion the human touch at work. the heart. Plus, with increased flexibility around work schedules, it’s easy to see the appeal of a part work, part fun ‘bleisure’ trip. We are uniquely positioned to support this trend, leveraging our expertise in both business and leisure travel, with more than 500 travel companies. Advisors who work with both disciplines to provide an all-in-one travel solution.

At Travel Counselors for Business, our focus is on building personal relationships and redefining what care means in business travel by providing our SME clients with a highly customized and concierge-like service. “

When it comes to planning and booking foreign business trips, almost half of SMEs use a travel management company (TMC). Nearly a third cited saving business time as the biggest benefit of working with a TMC, followed by greater flexibility and access to 24/7 customer support/emergency assistance.

Joe Whittle, Sustainability and Impact Lead at Travel Counselors, says: “To help our customers travel more sustainably, we ensure they have the data to make lower carbon choices. From carbon estimates at the time of quote on flights, to in-depth post-trip carbon reporting powered by Thrust Carbon; Where customers want to travel with reduced emissions, we ensure they have the data and expertise of their Travel Counselor to do so. In addition, we also use our Green Leaf label to identify where hotels have sustainability accreditations recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council to help our customers choose more sustainable accommodation options.”