According to the new CWT Connected Traveler Study, 50% of the Americas business travelers stay connected to their families during their travels, compared to travelers from other regions. 31% of travelers from Asia Pacific (APAC) and 27% from Europe strive to connect with their families by phone, messaging, email or via Skype.
Research conducted with more than 1,900 corporate travelers has found that most travelers believe that traveling has a positive or neutral effect on their personal relationships. APAC travelers are more likely to affirm this positive effect (50%) compared to those coming from the Americas (45%) or Europe (36%). “Obviously, business travelers miss their family members when they are absent,” said Julian Walker, Communications Officer at Carlson Wagonlit Travel.
Although many travelers say that their personal relationships do not suffer interference with travel, spending a lot of time away from home can lead to some loss. Almost half of the travelers interviewed in the Americas (48%) had a conflicting situation in their travel-to-work relationships compared to other travelers in Europe (46%) and APAC (39%).
27% of respondents in the Americas feel that travel affects their relationships with their partners and spouses, with a larger amount compared to Europe and APAC (both obtained 22% each). The CWT survey also found that more men (26%) than women (21%) say their relationships with spouses are affected by their travels to work.
Days away from home also cause travelers to miss events and social occasions, with 70% of those interviewed saying they have lost at least one event or social occasion in the last 12 months. Respondents at APAC were more likely to miss important events, with 51% having missed at least two occasions in the past year, compared to 44% in Europe and 42% in the Americas.
Regional differences
The study also exposed important differences in the way business travelers connect with their families. For example, in Europe, 49% of respondents use the phone to communicate with family and friends, compared to 43% in the Americas and 41% in APAC.
In Brazil, corporate travelers are more likely (82%) to say that the positive aspects of business travel overlap the negatives when it comes to building and maintaining relationships with family and friends.
• 60% of Brazilian respondents make more effort to maintain frequent contact with their family members while they travel, which is higher than the Americas region, which has achieved an overall average of 50%.
• Brazilian corporate travelers are the ones that use the most (25%) mobile messaging tools to get in touch with their families, while the overall average for the Americas region was 20%.
• About 20% of Brazilians who travel for work say they are more likely to get in touch every day.
• 80% of respondents in Brazil have already lost at least one event or social occasion last year, due to a trip to work.
• More than half of the Brazilian respondents (59%) faced problems in their relationships due to business trips.
On the other hand, 18% of travelers from the Americas said they sent messages, compared to 17% of APAC and 13% of Europe. Regardless of location, the CWT study revealed that about a quarter of travelers in each region use Skype to connect. 47% of respondents in the Americas are more likely to contact more than once a day, either by telephone, email, email or other methods compared to those surveyed in Europe (37%) and APAC (32%).
“As technology continues to evolve, travelers still consider traditional methods to connect with their family and friends,” said Walker. “Digital tools, such as Skype, make this contact easier, making them feel closer even though they are far from their loved ones.”

Photo: Reproduction
Source: Brasilturis