Embassy Suites recently did their fourth annual business travel survey. Last year, they surveys showed that the vast majority of business travelers who had less face time with clients reported it had a negative impact on their business. Many lost deals, and some lost clients altogether! It seemed quite obvious to me that technology can’t replace face to face interaction, so I’m happy to report that this survey shows business travel is again on the rise.
- Fewer business travelers are citing cut backs on travel due to the economy—32% this year vs. 41% in 2011.
- Instead, travelers are being more frugal—looking for better hotel values (22%) or cutting back on meal expenditures (19%).
- In addition, road warriors are looking for more out of their hotels—including more space (46%), free breakfasts (70%), and HD TVs (42%).
My thoughts: I have definitely noticed an uptick in travel for Q1 of 2012 compared to this time last year, and this trend will be continuing for me through Q2. Thinking back on it, I have been spending less on incidentals, but not on purpose—it’s just happened. And while I love space and free breakfast, it makes me laugh that so many people want HD TVs in their hotel room. Although since giving up cable last year I must say I really enjoy watching HGTV and Sex and the City reruns in hotels…..
Readers, what has your experience been? Are travel cut backs getting better?
“…so many people want HD TVs in their hotel room.”
crazy, I rarely turn on a TV in a hotel room. I carry all the TV or movies that I’m going to watch on my laptop or iPad.
I do carry an HDMI cable in case I want to hook up to the LCD TV…however, many of the hotels are disabling the HDMI inputs on their big new LCDs…I can only imagine it is so that people will pay for pay-per-view. That’ll never happen with me, I just stay somewhere else next time…
I’ve been on a contract for the last year flying back and forth from Cleveland to Charlotte. At first, we were told to always be cost-conscious about flights and to always car pool with co-workers. Now, flights are often done last minute and we all have our own cars. Things definitely seem to have become more relaxed.
HDTV’s in most hotels have mostly SD channels so until that changes the lack of a HDTV is not a gamechanger for me.