InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the results of the Holiday Inn Small Business Traveler Study conducted by Kelton Global, which reveals the perks and pain points small business travelers face. For small business travelers, affordability is key, and most feel that when compared to larger companies, they pay more for travel and that it is more difficult and time-consuming to book affordable business travel.
Travel is a necessary part of small business
Small business owners and employees understand the importance of travel. Two in three travel specifically for face-to-face client meetings and in fact, more than three in four say they get more out of in-person client time than employees at larger companies. However, despite the perceived benefits, small business travelers feel that travel can be more challenging for them than their larger business counterparts. According to the survey, the top pain point for business trips is the stress of travel itself (56 percent).
Small business travelers want to feel valued
The study also revealed that more than 94 percent of small business travelers said they would be interested in staying at a hotel with a rewards offer exclusively for small business travelers, and nearly a third feel as though currently they are not treated as well as large companies when it comes to business travel. When it comes to cost, small business employees are price conscious travelers – more than half of small business employees do not have a travel policy, yet they are still careful to choose the most cost-effective option to help keep costs down for their business, set a good example for the people they work with or be respected within their company for being a cost-efficient traveler.
Booking the right hotel is a time-consuming task
On average, small business travelers take as many as nine different steps just to book a hotel, and those that visit hotel websites will do so an average of three times before they pick the right place. While 98 percent of small business travelers do believe there are perks to be had from their business trips, they often have to deal with a lot of planning and stress when booking.
In order to make travel easier, more successful and more affordable for these individuals, the Holiday Inn brand and IHG Rewards Club are introducing the new Inn Business offer. Through this new promotion, small business travelers are able to more quickly earn Gold Elite status and all the benefits that come with it.
Eric Lent, Vice President, Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza, The Americas, IHG said: “While many people think of Holiday Inn hotels as great leisure destinations suited for family travel – which they are – our hotels also offer service and amenities that make business travel easier and more enjoyable. Hotels are a business traveler’s home away from home when they’re on the road, and small business employees told us they want assistance to make their lives easier from booking through check-out. As we move forward, the Holiday Inn brand remains committed to introducing new offers like Inn Business that help small business travelers make connections with the people, places and experiences that matter most to bring even more joy to their journey.”
The Holiday Inn brand and IHG Rewards Club created the Inn Business offer to celebrate small business travelers and help them earn valuable rewards for themselves and their business. The Inn Business offer awards small business travelers with elite status in IHG Rewards Club during their first year of membership following just one night stay at any Holiday Inn hotel property, as well as complimentary room upgrades, priority check-in and late check-out, and the ability to earn rewards nights faster. Small business travelers can enroll in the Inn Business offer to start earning and saving more.
The Holiday Inn Small Business Travel Study was conducted between March 23 and April 8, 2016, among 1,005 small business travelers ages 25-65, using an e-mail invitation and an online survey.
