No country’s business travellers are away from the office as often as the Norwegians. No one are as loyal towards the companies’ agreements and partners either. In addition, they do not expect luxury or a higher salary as a compensation for having to travel so much. This is revealed in a large survey amongst 6000 travellers from all over the world. «Norwegian business travellers are more concerned with efficiency than comfort. To travel is part of the job without them expecting extra incentives, higher salary or a specific status. The survey clearly shows that the Norwegians are not as other business travellers. At the same time, it is great global unity that meeting people face to face is important to be able to do a good job”, says Anders Lindqvist, Managing Director of Egencia® in Norway. In average, business travellers have 5,3 trips a year. At the bottom of the list is Canada with 4,4 trips, while Norway is all the way at the top with 6,7 trips. On the question if those who travel a lot should be compensated with a higher salary, Norway is at the bottom with 11% that totally agrees. Globally the average is 21%, with India on top with 38 percent. Face-to-face important Has FaceTime® replaced genuine face time? Not according to the business travellers we surveyed in the third edition of the Egencia® Business Travel and Technology Study. In Norway, 85 percent of travellers surveyed said a meeting conducted in-person is more effective and productive, a view consistent across every age group. Travelers in Australia, Canada, China, India, UK, and the US made a stronger endorsement, at 90 percent, on average; as did travellers with a title of VP and above (91 percent). In an age when rampant connectivity allows us to work virtually from anywhere, business travellers believe there is a lot to be said for showing up. Travel is also closely linked to professional success in the minds of business travellers. More than twothirds of global travellers surveyed (67 percent) said they would be less successful in their role if they did not travel. Travellers in Australia, Canada, China, India, UK, and the US agreed most strongly at levels above 70 percent, as did VPs and above. Far from being irrelevant, the findings reveal a widespread support for, and confidence in, business travel as a personal and professional tool. “We support the vital need for business travel by providing solutions travellers actually want to use,” says Lindqvist. “If we can improve each traveller’s journey while helping companies manage the bottom line, then we have done our job. Our travellers’ clicks guide us every day in the decisions we make and the technology we deliver toward the user experience.” Cost control Within this environment, most travellers globally say that policy is not oriented toward their preferences. Fifty-five percent of travellers say their company travel policy meets their needs only somewhat well, and 8 percent of travellers report it does not meet their needs very well, or not at all. Only 38 percent of travellers say their company’s policy meets their needs very well. When confronted with a restrictive policy that prevents travellers from booking a preferred airline or hotel, roughly one out of two travellers is willing to break it. Companies now have an opportunity to better reflect traveller desires and increase compliance at the same time. Within this environment, most travellers globally say that policy is not oriented toward their preferences. Fifty-five percent of travellers say their company travel policy meets their needs only somewhat well, and 8 percent of travellers report it does not meet their needs very well, or not at all. Only 38 percent of travellers say their company’s policy meets their needs very well. When confronted with a restrictive policy that prevents travellers from booking a preferred airline or hotel, roughly one out of two travellers is willing to break it. Companies now have an opportunity to better reflect traveller desires and increase compliance at the same time. “It is important to address what companies can do to better meet the needs of travellers and improve their experience. Our findings and recommendations are based on traveller views and are focused on the four key areas choice, comfort, safety and communication. We recommend our customers to continuously improve their travel policy and adapt to changing conditions and expectations», says Anders Lindqvist in Egencia Norway. For more in-depth information, read our new position paper and infographic on our blog here where you will find 10 tips for companies to increase traveller compliance and satisfaction. About Egencia Egencia makes business travel better by making it more connected and complete. Egencia puts travellers at the heart of business travel, continuously supporting them with solutions that are more engaging and effective. Driven by consumer insights and technology investments from parent company, Expedia, Inc., Egencia connects everything travellers need - content, technology, service and reporting - in one place. Egencia provides services in 65 countries. To connect with Egencia, visit our blog, www.egencia.no or follow us on twitter (@Egencia_NO). ® 2016 Egencia, LLC. All rights reserved. Egencia, and the Egencia logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. CST # 2029030-50; CST # 2083922-50 About the study This study was conducted on behalf of Egencia by Northstar, a globally integrated strategic insights consulting firm. The study was conducted among 6,057 business travellers aged 18 and older in UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, China, Australia, India, USA, Canada. Surveys were completed online in May 2016. Assuming a probability sample, the margin of error would be +/-1.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Media Contact: Anders Lindqvist, Managing Director Egencia Norway, mobile: 480 18 902