New global research highlights that a majority of Millennial and Gen Z business travellers see travel as important for their career progression, job satisfaction and professional performance.

The findings, from Corporate Travel Management (CTM), are based on a survey of 702 employees aged under 40 across global markets, conducted in March 2025.

According to the report, 57% of respondents said business travel is “very important” to career progression. Just over half (51%) said it is “very important” to professional performance, while 45% rated it as very important to job satisfaction. In total, 70% of those surveyed expect the importance of business travel to grow as they advance in their careers. This expectation is particularly high in Asia, where 90% of respondents in Singapore and Hong Kong anticipate an increase.

The research also shows that 86% of participants travelled for business at least once in the past year, with 70% flying between one and five times. Despite this, more than half (55%) said they would like to travel more frequently for work. UK respondents were most keen to increase their business travel, at 63%.

When asked about their favourite aspects of business travel, the top responses included experiencing new destinations, collaborating with colleagues and partners and taking a break from routine responsibilities.

Bleisure Travel, Booking Habits and Policy Awareness

A growing number of younger employees are blending business and leisure travel. Just under half (42%) said they always or usually add a leisure element to business trips. This figure rose to 55% in Asia and dropped to 29% in North America, a difference possibly linked to regional variations in paid leave allowances.

When it comes to booking, 59% of respondents said they book their own travel, either directly or through a travel management company (TMC). The UK had the highest proportion of self-bookers at 66%, while Australia had the lowest at 53%. Overall, 42% used a TMC and 32% booked directly with suppliers.

Corporate travel policies were present in 70% of respondents’ workplaces globally, and 83% said they understood the objectives of those policies. However, only 54% felt the policy matched their personal needs. In North America, these figures were lower, with just 59% reporting the presence of a travel policy and only 41% believing it aligned with their expectations. In contrast, Singapore and Hong Kong showed higher alignment, with 66% saying their company policy met their travel needs.

Preferences on Suppliers, Sustainability and Loyalty

When selecting airlines, the top three global criteria were price, flight schedules and on-time performance. Hong Kong was the only market where safety record featured in the top three. For accommodation, travellers prioritised location, 24/7 reception and on-site fitness or wellness facilities.

Although sustainability did not rank among the top three selection factors, it was still a relevant consideration. More than half of respondents globally said they consider environmental sustainability when booking flights (55%) and hotels (51%). Only 46% said the same for car rental services. A majority (57%) expect employers to pay more for sustainable options.

Regional variations showed that Singapore and Hong Kong had the strongest demand for environmentally sustainable business travel. In those markets, 75% of respondents said sustainability was a factor when booking flights, 69% for hotels and 59% for car rentals. They also expressed the highest expectation for employers to fund these choices, with 76% expecting businesses to pay a premium.

In North America, only 33% considered sustainability when choosing airlines, although 57% still expected employers to bear additional costs for sustainable travel services.

Loyalty programmes did not appear among the most important supplier selection criteria, but they still influenced decisions. Globally, 43% said they always select suppliers based on loyalty schemes, and 38% said they sometimes do. The most valued features of these programmes were discounts, free upgrades or flights and fast-track services.