Research by CWT, the B2B4E travel management platform, shows that while the awareness of healthy eating is growing momentum amongst business travelers around the world, those from Australia are struggling to sustain these habits while on the road. According to the survey, 39% of business travelers from Australia eat less healthy on the road, compared with the regional and global averages of 27% and 36% respectively.
When it comes to exercising, 30% of Australian business travelers said they work out less when on business trips.
The health and wellness amenities most commonly used by Aussie travelers include hotel gyms (52%) and swimming pools (39%), and wearable technology such as pedometers (29%).
Overall, Australian business travelers have a hard time maintaining their health and wellness routines. Only 33% of Aussies surveyed said they work hard to follow their routines when traveling, compared with the Asia Pacific average of 52%. A further 44% said they try, but find it challenging.
“Sticking to your regular routine on business trips can be challenging for various reasons, such as limited options or tight schedules,” said Michael Ryan, Managing Director, Australia, CWT. “You’re focused on your work and trying to make the most of your trip, so you don’t have time to search for a gym or affordable healthy eating options if they’re not easily accessible. By creating travel policies that factor these things in, such as allowing travelers to stay at hotels with fitness facilities and ensuring their meal allowance is enough to cover healthy food choices, companies can create a much better travel experience for their employees.”
Among regions, travelers in Asia Pacific are likely to work out more (33%) while abroad, compared to travelers in Americas (23%) and Europe (21%). On the flipside, Europe business travelers are less likely to work out while on the road (48%) vs. travelers in Americas (38%) and Asia Pacific (32%).
Meanwhile, only 7% of travelers do not adhere to health and wellness routines when traveling. The percentage is higher among Europeans (10%) and Americans (8%), while travelers in Asia Pacific are the least likely to steer away from their wellness routines (3%).
“Maintaining healthy habits while traveling is nearing the top of the priority list for travelers around the world,” said Niklas Andréen, CWT’s Chief Traveler Experience Officer. “At the end of the day, being in tune with what matters to your employees is indispensable for retaining and attracting the best talent.”
Since 2017, maintaining health and wellness routines while on the road has become an increasing priority for travelers. Across all regions, business travelers are striving to achieve their health and wellness routines regardless of where they are in the world.
