Booking.com for Business Survey Reveals: Travel Preferences Among Canadian Professionals Differ Based on Industry

Exploring a new destination is a top consideration for Canadians when extending their business trip

TORONTO, Nov. 14, 2017 /CNW/ - Canadians value the opportunity to travel, both for business and leisure - and each profession is doing things differently.

New research from Booking.com for Business, the global leader in connecting business travellers with the widest choice of places to stay, reveals that over a quarter of (26%) of all working Canadian professionals accepted their job in part or fully because of opportunities to travel for work. In addition, over a third (36%) said they would actively pursue a new job if it meant they could travel even more.

But how do the industries Canadians work in shape their outlook towards business and leisure travel, and the increasing intersection of the two?

Professional preferences are reflected in leisure travel choices

When looking across all professions, 73% of Canadian employees say making time for leisure travel gives them greater job satisfaction. What's more, for three quarters (75%), leisure travel helps them to better manage work stress and pressure. Not surprisingly, most prefer holidays that allow them to relax (50%) and spend time with their family (45%).

When looking at the type of holidays Canadian professional prefer, there are some differences across the various industries. Bankers and professional service workers prefer to take shopping-focused trips (39%), while those in manufacturing and logistics seek outdoor activities at their destinations (34%) and nearly a fifth (18%) of retail and sale professionals enjoy organized tours to explore their new surroundings.

In looking at preferred accommodation types and amenities, unique trends emerged across professions. Over a quarter (28%) of both Canadian technology and computing professionals as well as medical and health workers love accommodations with 'local charm'. A comfortable bed was a top priority for Canadian professionals across several industries including healthcare (77%), government (76%) and retail (76%). Over a third (39%) of those in local or national government enjoy 'all-inclusive' accommodations, while education professionals' preferences are geared towards a luxurious bathroom (20%), a hearty breakfast (57%) and close proximity to green spaces (27%).

Bleisure travel is all about the destination

Regardless of industry, when travelling for business the destination itself is at the heart of whether Canadians opt to build in extra time on their business trip. For nearly two thirds (65%) the opportunity to explore a city they haven't visited before was a top priority and 41% want to spend more time in a favourite location. The research also suggests that Canadian professionals try to make the most of a destination when travelling for business and want a local experience. For over a third (43%) trying local cuisine was important, as was experiencing local art and culture (37%) and finding hidden gems off the beaten path (21%).

"It's no surprise that mixing leisure with business travel - or "bleisure" - remains a hot trend. It's interesting to see the differences in how each profession prefers to plan and spend their trips and reminds us that offering a diverse range of accommodations is key to staying top of mind for Canadian business and leisure travellers", says Ripsy Bandourian, Senior Director of Product Development, at Booking.com for Business.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Research commissioned by Booking.com for Business and independently conducted among a sample of working professionals (full or part-time employed adults who have travelled internationally in the last 12 months, provided by Vitreous World. In total, 17,038 respondents were surveyed (1,000+ from the UK, US, Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, India and Russia and 500+ each from Australia, Argentina, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Thailand and Taiwan). Respondents completed an online survey from 3^rd to 18^th August, 2017.

About Booking.com

Established in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com B.V. has grown from a small Dutch start-up to one of the largest travel e-commerce companies in the world. Part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN), Booking.com now employs more than 15,000 employees in 199 offices in 70 countries worldwide.

With a mission to empower people to experience the world, Booking.com invests in digital technology that helps take the friction out of travel. At Booking.com, we connect travellers with the world's largest selection of incredible places to stay, including everything from apartments, vacation homes, and family-run B&Bs to 5-star luxury resorts, tree houses and even igloos. The Booking.com website and mobile apps are available in over 40 languages, offer over 1.4 million properties, and cover more than 120,000 destinations in 227 countries and territories worldwide.

Each day, more than 1.5 million room nights are reserved on our platform. So whether travelling for business or leisure, customers can instantly book their ideal accommodation quickly and easily with Booking.com, without booking fees and backed up by our promise to price match. Via our customer experience team, customers can reach Booking.com 24/7 for assistance and support in 43 languages, any time of the day or night.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, like us on Facebook, and for the latest news, data and insights, please visit our global media room.

About Booking.com for Business

Booking.com for business (http://www.booking.com/business) is a tailored offering specifically focused on business bookers and travellers to allow seamless booking and managing of business travel in the simplest, smartest and most rewarding way. More than one in five bookings made on Booking.com are made for business. Enhanced features for business travel on Booking.com highlight those places which are frequently used for business, tapping into its extensive review data to make easy work of finding those that are business traveller tested and approved. Booking.com for Business also provides a free tool for travel managers and assistants that allows booking on behalf of others. Booking.com for Business is a platform with enhanced functionality and reporting designed to meet the specific needs of corporate travel, while delivering the same ease as Booking.com enabling every business traveller to book with confidence, wherever their business takes them.

SOURCE Booking.com

For further information: contact the Booking.com Canadian Press Office: Annie Hennessey / [email protected]