Worldwide: Data from global business travel specialist Corporate Travel Management (CTM) shows that Millennials and Gen Z employees want to travel more for work and see business travel as a key driver of professional growth and job satisfaction.
The March 2025 survey of 702 younger employees across five global regions found that 57 per cent view business travel as very important to their career progression.
Over half said it is very important to their performance at work, while 45 per cent link travel directly to job satisfaction. 70 per cent also said that business travel will become more important with seniority.
When it comes to travel habits, 86 per cent of respondents travelled at least once for work in the past year, and 55 per cent said they want to do so more often. In the UK, that figure rose to 63 per cent, the highest of any region surveyed. In Australia, 84 per cent reported flying between one and five times a year, the most frequent among respondents.
Nearly six in 10 are booking their own travel, with the highest rate of self-bookers in the UK (66 per cent) and the lowest in Australia (53 per cent). 42 per cent said they use a travel management company and 32 per cent book directly with suppliers.
Sustainability is growing in importance, though it does not yet top the list of booking priorities. 55 per cent consider sustainability when booking flights and 51 per cent when choosing hotels. However, traditional concerns still lead: airline price, flight schedules, and on-time performance were the top three decision drivers globally. For accommodation, location, 24/7 reception, and wellness facilities were rated most important.
CTM’s report also found a significant interest in bleisure travel – combining business and leisure. Globally, 42 per cent said they often add leisure time to their work trips. The trend is strongest in Asia (55 per cent) and weakest in North America (29 per cent), likely due to differing levels of annual leave.
Loyalty schemes, while not a top-three consideration when choosing suppliers, remain influential. 43 per cent reported that their travel decisions are always based on loyalty programmes, and 38 per cent said that they sometimes are. Discounts, upgrades, and fast-track services were cited as the most valuable features.
Eleanor Noonan, global chief operating officer at CTM, said: “Millennials already make up roughly 75 per cent of the global workforce, closely followed by Gen Zs. Our research has uncovered critical insights into how younger business travellers view the business travel experience, which is driving an evolution in how we design impactful, relevant travel management services for the future.”
Highlights:
• Business travel is seen as driving career progression by more than half of Millennials and Gen Z professionals.
• Young employees increasingly want more travel opportunities, especially in the UK and Australia.
• Self-booking is common, but traditional booking priorities such as cost and convenience still dominate.
• Sustainability and bleisure travel are rising trends, though not yet top priorities.
• Loyalty programs remain influential in shaping booking behaviour.
