Gen Z Look to Boost Their Careers Through Business Travel, as Half of UK Businesses Plan to Increase Travel Spend in Next 12 Months

Gen Z employees view business travel as a way of boosting their careers and are seeking out more opportunities to take trips, according to new research¹ from American Express.

American Express surveyed both UK business travellers and decision makers in companies of all sizes. The research found that almost three-fifths (59%) of the youngest generation in the workforce say they will be travelling more for work in the next 12 months. This is the most of any generation surveyed - with respondents believing these opportunities are significant to their careers by increasing their attractiveness to prospective employers (81%) and enhancing opportunities for promotion at their current firm (83%).

The research revealed that Gen Z are some of the most committed business travellers. Out of all generations surveyed, they are the most likely to strongly agree that they combine
business and leisure into a single trip to maximise their productivity and, and as a result, to take fewer flights (44%). They are also the most likely generation to strongly agree that they can effectively prioritise their workload during business trips (54%).

Almost three-quarters (74%) of Gen Z employees also say they typically work longer hours when on business trips, more so than any other generation – estimating 4.6 extra hours on average per working day compared to a normal day in the office, according to the research.

At the same time, younger generations are more likely to consider sustainability in their business travel trips compared to other age groups; almost half (48%) of Gen Z say they are actively working with their employer on this. Steps taken include greater use of public transport (67%), choosing to stay at accommodation with environmental credentials (43%), or staying at destinations for longer to accommodate more meetings (52%).

Businesses plan to increase travel spend over the next 12 months UK businesses are prioritising travel as they seek to boost sales, build new relationships and drive international growth, with over four-fifths (85%) looking to increase or maintain business travel spend over the next year.

This is an increase from previous research by Amex in 2022², which showed 42% of UK businesses were planning more travel for employees. This year’s results indicate firms continue to see the value in these trips – including strengthening relationships with clients (40%) or helping them develop a better understanding of local markets (28%).

Three-quarters of businesses in the 2024 research say business travel is crucial to their organisation’s growth ambition, while about one third (32%) prioritise business travel as a way of giving employees an opportunity to develop professionally.

Lee Sullivan Vice President at American Express, said: “Our research reveals businesses continue to see the value in travel as way of driving growth and boosting employee engagement, and plan to invest more in this area. Our focus is on supporting firms of all sizes as their strategies evolve – through our Business and Corporate Cards that make travel more rewarding and expense management more seamless.

“It’s also interesting that younger employees see travel as critical for their career development. Gen Z are leading the way in reshaping how businesses approach travel, with a renewed focus on maximising the entire experience.”

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Notes 

¹All figures are based on fieldwork conducted by Retail Economics in June 2024 on behalf of American Express, amongst 500 business travellers and 500 senior business travel decision makers from SMEs with 1-249 employees and large businesses with over 250 employees in the UK. References to Gen Z employees relate to those aged 18-24 years old.

²American Express research amongst 500 business travellers and 500 decision makers, conducted by Opinium in July 2022