Business travellers say COVID-19 restrictions damage job effectiveness

Business travellers around the world believe the Covid-19 pandemic and related travel restrictions have negatively impacted their effectiveness on the job as well as the ability of their employers to develop business, serve clients and maintain business relationships. This is according to the results of a new survey by Chubb.

The survey also found that business travellers have personally missed travelling for work and leisure and are eager to get back on the road.

The Chubb survey, titled Time to Fly: The Impact of Covid-19 on the Present and Future of Business Travel, found that globally, 80 percent or more of business travellers believe they are missing something important when they cannot see body language or other visual clues that you can only get in an in-person meeting. Nearly three out of four business travellers (74 percent) say they are less effective in their job due to the pandemic and severely limited travel opportunities. Areas that have been negatively impacted include client service and the ability to maintain relationships with clients and business partners.

With the proper precautions, respondents are twice as likely to feel more comfortable traveling for business than for leisure. One reason cited: business is important to their livelihood.

A large majority of business travellers (69 percent) expect that company travel budgets will be trimmed in a post-COVID world to reduce expenses, and 75 percent of business travellers are willing to pay more to keep the middle seat open when they fly.

Some 87 percent of business travellers have been personally concerned about contracting COVID-19 during the pandemic, and take steps to protect themselves, including wearing masks and social distancing. A smaller share (74 percent) say they always follow government rules. Another 24 percent say they sometimes follow Covid restrictions. Adherence to Covid safety protocols is highest among travellers in Latin America at 87 percent.

The Chubb survey is the first of its kind to poll business travellers across four regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Chubb polled 2,100 business travellers, aged 20 and above, who are currently employed and regularly stay overnight on business trips in a typical year.

"Effective vaccines are being rolled out, economies are beginning to stir, and travel is picking up again. This was the right time to understand the perceptions of business travellers about their experiences during the pandemic, and what their expectations are for travel in a post-Covid world," said John Thompson, division president, International Accident and Health. "What travel do regular business travellers think can be effectively replaced by meeting virtually? What is the opportunity cost of staying at your desk versus traveling to meet in person? The answers to these and other questions are important, as businesses make decisions about future travel budgets, return to office, and the new criteria for traveling to meet with clients, develop business or attend conferences."

Chris Martin, division president, North America Accident and Health, added: "One of the most striking findings of our survey is how much business travellers in all regions agree: the pandemic, and the travel limitations that came with it, have cost business travellers and their employers the ability to effectively serve clients and maintain relationships with clients and business partners. This was the view of nearly 75 percent of respondents around the world. It didn't matter where they live, how much they earn or how frequently they travel. We did find some differences in responses by age group, but that was largely limited to questions about fears of contracting Covid. Younger business travellers, for example, had a higher tolerance for Covid risks."

Joe Vasquez, senior vice president, Chubb Group, Global Accident & Health, said: "Our survey shows that business travellers have high levels of trust that their employer and airlines will take care of their health and safety. They have much less confidence in the precautions being taken by their fellow travellers. These perceptions of risk may help explain why so many business travellers are now paying greater attention to the insurance coverage they have when they travel."

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