Business travelers are the bread and butter for many city hotels, but as the workforce continues to evolve their wants and needs are also shifting. Fortunately a majority of employees traveling for work are happy with the prospect and hoteliers can benefit from their willingness.
A significant amount of millennial employees create reasons to travel for work, so hotel management can take advantage of this large percentage of the workforce that enjoys traveling for their livelihood.
Here’s what business travelers can do to transform a standard work trip into a more rewarding break than the typical working day.
Money not an issue
Companies are setting budgets and paying for travel expenses, but that’s not always enough for today’s travel-minded employees who are personally willing to cover some costs on their work excursions. While companies reimburse payment for business related services during trips, many employees don’t mind paying out of pocket to get that extra level of service and experience.
Business cum leisure
Extending work trips is becoming big business for hotels and this trend doesn’t appear to be dissipating anytime soon. A majority of business travelers want to extend their business trips for leisure purposes by either adding on a few nights in the same hotel, or move to another in its vicinity geared to leisure and relaxation.
Creating downtime
As working days become longer with 24-hour connectivity often the line between working and personal hours are blurred. The exhausting work-life style often warrants a re-charge, a quick break to relax, wind down and turn the ‘work’ brain off for a little while. Even if you’re taking an hour to go back to your room and recharge between meetings, you should use that time for yourself. Brew a cup of coffee, read a book, go for a walk, and explore the neighbourhood near your hotel.
Stay the extra day
Every town, city, state, and country has something special lurking beneath the surface so seek out that special something and make it a point to visit before you leave. Whether it’s taking the elevator to the top of the tallest building or eating at one of the city’s most famous restaurant, going off the beaten path for even just an hour will take your mind off the job.
Complete key tasks
There’s nothing worse than being away from the office with essential tasks still hanging over you. So always try and complete your to-do-list before embarking on your next business trip. Not only will you feel less guilty while away from the office, but you’ll also have less to catch-up with upon your return.
Pack your sneakers
Pack your exercise kit with you on your next business trip: Whether it’s an early morning run through an unknown city, or going for an after work swim in the hotel pool, exercise is the perfect way to unwind. It’s also much easier to find the time to exercise while away from your normal daily routine. Executives in a foreign city often find they have plenty of spare time to kill, so use it healthily.
Avoid one day travel
It’s often unavoidable to squeeze a business trip in to one day although it makes for a very exhausting day of work. It is far better to travel the night before and arrive with plenty of time to prepare properly for you meeting and enjoy a good night’s sleep to boot. Not only will you find the trip less stressful, you’ll think clearer during your meeting without relying on five cups of coffee to get through the day.
Enjoy the disconnect
Despite airlines relaxing their rules on using electronic devices on flights most flights remain free from mobile phone reception. Business travelers should learn to embrace the lack of signal to relax and unwind. Employees have a legitimate excuse to disconnect from their email, voicemail and phone calls. Smart business travelers make the most of this time and enjoy the peace and quiet.
Read and recharge
Travelling presents plenty of opportunities for reading and this can be the ideal way to recharge your batteries. As long as it’s not work-related, just pick up something you find interesting & read.
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