Fewer workers tack on vacations to business trips
In weak economy, fewer people tack vacations onto business trips.
— -- Fewer business travelers are expected to bring their spouse, kids, golf clubs or sightseeing shoes on future business trips, new studies and booking trends indicate.
The down economy means fewer people can afford to tack on vacation time to a trip, and fewer people are willing to risk the negative perceptions that may exist about travel perks, says Peter Yesawich of Ypartnership, an Orlando-based travel research and marketing firm.
The economy is expected to speed the decline in dual-purpose trips, he says, but the trend has been falling out of favor for about seven years.
Only about 30% of business travelers said they brought along their spouse or kids — or just added some alone time — before, during or after a business trip in the past year, according to the Ypartnership/Yankelovich National Leisure Travel Monitor released in May. In 2000, 60% said they'd combined trips. Yesawich estimates the rate would be even lower today. "People would say, 'It's all about serious business now,' " he says.
Michael Steiner of Ovation Corporate Travel, a Manhattan-based agency, says Ovation's corporate clients are especially cutting their weekend stays on domestic trips.
"Last year, they were more apt to stay a Friday and Saturday night, but this year, they're coming home," he says.
Phil Lapp, a snack foods sales manager from Lancaster, Pa., who's on the road about half the time, says he hasn't combined trips in several years, due to the increasingly competitive business environment and the demands of having two young children, ages 4 and 2. He doesn't plan to do anything differently next year.
"Traveling now is difficult enough, but when you factor in trying to coordinate family schedules with business meetings, it creates a chaotic and sometimes distracting environment," he says.
Reasons fewer people are combining trips:
•Appearances. Travelers are more aware of co-workers' and superiors' attitude toward perceived perks as companies slash jobs and expenses, says Michael Batt, chairman of Travel Acquisitions Group, the parent of Travel Leaders travel agency chain.
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