UK Business Travelers Deal with Guilt

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. October 14, 2008

LONDON, UK, September 11, 2006. With new research revealing that UK workers spend an average 25 nights a year away from home on business, the equivalent to over a year's holiday allowance, bringing home the bacon also means paying with guilt.

While business travel is a fact of life for many, the new research from Holiday Inn / Priority Club Rewards shows that a third (31%) of the 1,500 workers surveyed said they felt guilty about being away from family and partners so often.

Almost half (47%) would most like to pack their partners in their bags when they head off on a business trip, which does not come as a surprise as a quarter (25%) of the people surveyed think that time apart puts a strain on their relationship. The younger Career Starters (the 16-24 age group) are the only exception, with almost half (45%) admitting that getting away from their partners was a bonus of business travel!

Carl Honore, work-life balance expert and author of In Praise of Slow says: "The rat race takes a heavy toll on our relationships and that's why more and more people are looking for a better work-life balance. We want to build our careers, but we also need to have a life outside work."

Although business travel might be perceived as a great way to see the world, two thirds of respondents (65%) admit that they come away having experienced very little of the city they have stayed in and only 30% recalled tasting the local food and drink, while 40% said their hotel room was the most memorable experience of their stay.

However, there are perks of business travel with 36% relieved that they avoided having to make their own bed, almost half (47%), thankful they didn't have to cook, 18% pleased to spend some time away from the kids, over half (55%) appreciate the peace and quiet of a hotel room and over a third (39%) enjoy doing business face to face. One respondent even claimed 'smoked fish for breakfast' was by far the biggest business travel perk.

To compensate for all this time spent away, almost half of those surveyed (44%) would be happiest if they were offered free leisure stays at a hotel of their choice rather than days in lieu or even a cash bonus. Business travel is clearly not putting them off exploring the world at a more leisurely pace. In fact, 15% of workers admit they daydream about their ideal holiday destination when they should be on concentrating on work.

Almost 1,500 people of working age were quizzed about their attitudes to business travel and the impact it has on their lives to mark the launch of Any Hotel, Anywhere - the revolutionary new reward from Priority Club Rewards, Holiday Inn's loyalty program. The Any Hotel, Anywhere reward lets Priority Club Rewards members redeem the points they earn at Holiday Inn for stays at a choice of over half a million hotels worldwide, including competitor hotels. Great news for all business travellers!

"Taking a partner for a weekend break is a wonderful way to make up for time spent away on business. Initiatives like the Any Hotel, Anywhere reward from Holiday Inn are a godsend for business travellers who want to make the most of their free time with loved ones," says Honore.