Younger travellers more worried about risks of business trips

Younger business travellers in the UK are more than concerned about the risks of business trips than their more experienced colleagues, according to new research from global risk specialist World Travel Protection.

The survey of 500 UK-based business travellers, which was carried out by Opinium, found that travel disruption and delays were the top concern among travellers of all ages (76 per cent), followed by catching Covid-19 and having to isolate (69 per cent), and then losing their phone or laptop or being hacked (68 per cent).

It also revealed some generational differences with travellers aged under 34 per cent generally more concerned about the risks of business trips than older age groups.

Younger travellers were more concerned about having to isolate if they caught Covid while overseas (79 per cent), as well as geo-political threats such as war and terrorist attacks (77 per cent), and being caught up in the aftermath of a natural disaster (72 per cent).

Kate Fitzpatrick, regional security director, EMEA, at World Travel Protection, said it was “surprising” that younger age groups were more concerned about the risks of international business travel.

“I wonder if this is another effect of Covid? For older business travellers used to travel, it’s back to business as normal. However, younger people are likely to have travelled less with work in the past and are now perhaps in more senior roles which require business travel,” she added.

“We often remind clients that some of their younger staff may be quite established in the organisation, having been with the company for a few years now, but may have never travelled with them – or even their previous employer – before.”

Despite the relaxing of most Covid-related travel restrictions around the world over the past year, Fitzpatrick said “the spectre of Covid” was still hanging over business travel.

 “As we get back to normal, we’re still having to navigate considerable travel disruption and uncertainty, however a high proportion of business travellers are actually more fearful of potential disruption to their travel than catching Covid and having to isolate,” she added.