A Global Business Travel Association industry poll indicates a massive uptick in business trips for 2023, with 78% of travel managers and 85% of travel suppliers expecting higher or much higher numbers year-over-year. With slightly rusty skills likely to exacerbate these road warriors’ frustrations, we’ve unpacked three business traveler pain points — and eight solutions your resort or hotel can provide.
Work/Life Balance
With two or more years away from the hustle and bustle of business travel, former live-out-of-their-suitcase types had the chance to slow down and get comfortable working from home — as well as spending more time where, how and with whom they wanted. While some may be excited to hit the road again, many others will be reluctant to give up their newly embraced, slower-paced lifestyle.
Solutions you can deliver:
- Hosting a group? Help the planner make the trip worth it by recommending outside-the-four-walls, locally-inspired experiences that provide attendees with a warm welcome and a genuine sense of place.
- Boost bleisure opportunities. Proactively offer preferred room rates to extend guests’ stays beyond the business trip, as well as arrange activities for travel companions to experience while meetings are happening.
- Work-enabled spaces and services. Give business travelers comfortable places in your guest rooms or common areas so they can pop open their laptops and easily access Wi-Fi to get work done while they’re still on the property. This way, they don’t have to wait and play catch-up on hundreds of emails when they’re back home.
Waylaid Wellness
There’s nothing like a global pandemic to inspire a wave of increased health consciousness. During lockdowns, many adopted new exercise regimens and dabbled in made-from-scratch cooking and now want to maintain these good habits even when they’re away from their home gyms and cozy kitchens.
Solutions you can deliver:
- Help get their sweat on. Grant business travelers full access to your fitness center and group exercise classes. If you don’t have these facilities or offerings on-site, partner with a local trainer to provide these much-appreciated services.
- Culinary creations. Make sure your group catering and on-site restaurants offer menus that address dietary restrictions as well as popular ways of eating more nutritiously (including plant-based, gluten-free, etc.).
Transportation Troubles
When your commute is measured in steps between your bedroom and home office (or living room couch!) and business casual is a fresh pair of pajamas or comfortable sweats, traveling long distances by car or dealing with airports and their inherent headaches is daunting. Although these pain points happen beyond your property’s borders, there are a few things you can do to grease the wheels for your business guests.
Solutions you can deliver:
- An effortless last leg. Offer flexible shuttle service between nearby airports and your resort or hotel – whether through an on-property fleet or third-party vendor.
- Unfrazzle flyers. With airport and airline staffing stretched thin, canceled and delayed flights are our new reality. When a guest comes to your concierge or front desk with this type of transportation trouble, have your team direct them to the U.S. Department of Transportation site for guidance on refunds and promptly assist them in extending their stay at your property, if needed.
- Power play. With more and more hybrids and EVs on the roads, some guests will need to plug in upon arrival. If you don’t already offer convenient car charging, look into having units installed.
While you and your team are busy resolving business traveler pain points daily, Dana is hard at work making hospitality marketing frictionless for our clients. Contact Lynn Kaniper today at 609.466.9187 ext. 117 or lkaniper@danacommunications.com to learn more.
