Despite their enthusiasm for technology, twenty-something business travelers recognize the value of face-to-face business communication at least as much as their older colleagues, according to a new study of global business travel trends commissioned by Marriott Hotels & Resorts.
Marriott, working with the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, polled 1,207 business travelers in the U.S., China, Germany and the United Kingdom for the “Global Business Travel Trends in the Third Millennium” study. The project examined generational and cultural differences in outlooks on the economy, business travel and career goals.
“Millennials [people aged 21 to 29] were the strongest in believing that technology cannot replace face-to-face meetings. This is certainly good news for the lodging industry,” said Donald Semmler, Marriott’s executive vice president, global full-service brands, at a press conference that was, somewhat ironically, beamed into virtual meeting suites in locations as far-flung as San Francisco and Frankfurt, Germany.
Most of the respondents in all four countries placed a high value on business travel, with nine out of 10 agreeing that travel is critical to achieving business goals. More than those in any other country, U.S. respondents (82 percent) also said that travel provides critical face-to-face time with customers and clients.
When it comes to green issues, a whopping 83 percent of the China respondents said that a hotel’s sustainability efforts were important to them. This was followed by 75 percent of those in Germany, 61 percent in the United Kingdom and 51 percent in the U.S.
