After a slow recovery from the pandemic-era collapse of corporate travel, the sector is booming again. Navan’s latest Business Travel Index shows business travel activity up 15% year over year and 54% above the post-pandemic baseline set in early 2023. Yet the comeback looks very different depending on who’s doing the traveling.
Hotels.com’s new Business Trip Report paints a picture of a new generation of business travelers who view travel as more than a job requirement. Eighty-five percent of Gen Z and 88% of millennials say work trips are a chance to “upgrade” their lifestyles. Compared to just under half (48%) of older professionals, younger travelers are far more likely to see business travel as a personal perk — an opportunity to book nicer hotels, enjoy luxury dining and capture social-media-worthy moments along the way.
That generational shift is creating a disconnect inside many organizations. While CFOs focus on controlling expenses and maximizing ROI, younger professionals are measuring the value of business trips in entirely different terms — status, experience and personal and professional recognition.
The “upgraded life” generation
Younger business travelers are redefining what it means to make the most of a work trip. Hotels.com found that 73% of Gen Z and 77% of millennials have paid out of pocket to upgrade to a nicer hotel, compared with less than half of their older colleagues. Data also shows 62% of Gen Zers have personally paid to upgrade flights, and 73% have spent their own money on high-end dining or entertainment while away for work.
They’re also blending work and leisure in new ways. Forty percent of millennials say they’ve booked a red-eye flight to gain more personal time at their destination, and 54% said they’d like to extend a business trip to explore solo. Among Gen Z travelers, half say they’d like to bring a plus-one, with 45% wanting to spend extra time hanging out with coworkers after the official work is done.
Nearly three-quarters of younger travelers document their trips on social media, Hotel.com research says, posting three to five times more per day than older colleagues. Millennials are less likely to share their trip on social media, but those who desire to are dedicated. Nearly half (47%) of millennials say they wouldn’t want to travel for work if they couldn’t share the experience online.