- Employees in Hong Kong see business travel as opportunities to achieve their professional growth ambitions: 37% seek inspiration for their work, and 35% look to learn a new skill
- Over half say adding leisure time to a business trip makes them more successful in their business meetings
Business travel is valuable, if not essential, to achieving professional success today, not only because of its positive impact on businesses but also for the opportunities it offers employees to expand their horizons and reach their fullest potential. According to Booking.com For Business, six in ten working professionals in Hong Kong say experiencing new cultures and destinations adds value to their job, a sentiment echoed most by those in the Banking (73%) and Manufacturing & Logistics (70%) sectors.
These are among the top findings of new research from Booking.com for Business, the global leader in connecting business travellers with the widest choice of places to stay. Conducted with more than 17,000 working professionals from 24 countries, the research reveals the extent to which they view business travel as essential to professional growth and business success, including key differences across professions.
Growth opportunities
When asked what they most hope to achieve when travelling for business, four in ten working professionals in the city cite growing their company’s business. This is followed by gaining inspiration to apply to work and learning a new skill.
More than half of the local working professionals say that being able to take a few off-the-clock hours during a business trip to enjoy the destination improves their performance in business meetings. The key factors influencing their decisions to incorporate some leisure time during their business trip are the chance to explore a destination previously unvisited and having time away from work to recharge. In particular, those in Retail & Sales are more inclined than other professionals to be influenced by the ability to extend the trip through weekend.
See you in Paris
Despite the benefits of modern technology and real-time communications, a real business case for in-person meetings still exists. In Hong Kong, 58 % of working professionals agree that travelling to meet clients or colleagues face-to-face is essential to business success. On the flip side, one in three Hong Kong working professionals prefer to avoid human interaction with travel or accommodation providers as much as possible on work trips.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
