Corporate travel managers are considering new career opportunities is large numbers due to feeling heavily overburdened and unappreciated, an alarming new survey from SAP Concur has found.
The findings appear in the 2024 SAP Concur Global Travel Manager Survey, which was conducted by Wakefield Research in Apr this year and canvassed the views of 600 travel managers in six markets, including Australia and New Zealand, UK, USA, Japan, Canada and Germany.
Of those surveyed, many are searching for new positions in the new year, while those who stay are calling for urgent change.
Respondents say the issue stems from stress involved in balancing the demands of business travellers with expectations from their organisations to cut costs.
In Australia and New Zealand, 89% of respondents report tension in meeting this balance, with cuts coming in the form of fewer overnight stays, indirect or inconvenient flights and limits on combining ‘bleisure’ time following a business trip.
Travel managers complain that business travellers expect flexibility, and will routinely go outside their company’s travel policies to maintain work-life balance and adhere to their social and environmental values.
“Despite the relief AI can offer, many travel managers find it difficult to adopt these tools due to insufficient training,” said SAP Concur Australia and New Zealand MD, Jonathan Beeby.
Many managers don’t expect the problem to go away quickly, with pressure to show a return on investment in AI tools coupled with a lack of training.
