Australian and New Zealanders travel more for business than any other country globally with more than one-third of ANZ small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) sending employees on at least one domestic work trip per week.
A Corporate Traveller survey found 37 per cent of ANZ businesses send staff on weekly work trips – more than Europe, the Middle East and Africa (23%), Asia (21.7%) and the Americas (31.8%).
It showed the global average for weekly domestic business travel trips is almost 32 per cent with 42 per cent of most companies sending employees on monthly work trips.
Almost half of ANZ companies (44%) send employees on work trips once a month, while only 12 per cent said their staff travel for work once or twice per quarter. A little under seven per cent of SMEs claim employees travel once or twice a year.
Domestic business travel on the rise
In Australia, the figures demonstrate a post-COVID shift in domestic business travel shaped by flexible working arrangements and increased internal migration from capital cities to regional and coastal hotspots.
Investment in regional infrastructure has also influenced the domestic business travel boom with upgraded regional airports, improved transportation links and more business-oriented accommodation.
Corporate Traveller Global Managing Director Tom Walley said: “Despite our relatively small populations, Australians and New Zealanders are leading the charge when it comes to domestic travel.”
“And given Australians and New Zealanders have long valued personal connections, it’s not surprising this extends to the way businesses approach travel.”
Walley forecasts this trend will continue into 2025 as another FCTG survey showed 42 per cent of ANZ corporate travellers plan to increase their travel spend in FY25 compared to last year.
“Interestingly, as flexible work arrangements have grown, it has amplified the need for domestic business travel with ANZ businesses demonstrating the importance of keeping teams connected with regular trips across the regions,” he said.
