At some point, every frequent business traveler will feel a bit of envy for friends whose jobs allow them to return home to their families each and every evening. They sometimes feel like they’re the only one whose job takes them here, there and everywhere on a regular basis.
If you’ve felt this way before, rest assured that you aren’t the only one hopping on a plane for work — far from it. In fact, professionals take roughly 488 million business trips in the U.S. each year. That’s an average of nearly 1.9 million business trips every weekday. While we’re at it, let’s take a look at some other business travel statistics so you can see how you fit in with the larger picture.
Younger Business Travelers Travel More Frequently
According to the Global Business Travel Association, younger business travelers spend an average of nearly three months per year on the road — 84 days, to be exact. The average number of trips per year is 14, and the average stay is six nights. If your schedule looks like this, it’s impossible not to adapt to a travel lifestyle. For those with families, however, it can still be difficult.
Meanwhile, older business professionals have paid their dues, so to speak. They travel for business less frequently: 12 times a year, on average, for four nights at a time. That’s a total of 48 days — about a month and a half. That’s still a big chunk of time, but it’s a far cry from the days on the road their younger counterparts put in..
The average business traveler is 45.9 years old, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
Business Travel is Consistently on the Rise
Business travel statistics plummeted during the economic crash in 2008. However, they’ve grown each year since 2009, and not by just a little. The business travel industry grew by 38 percent between 2009 and 2015, according to the Global Business Travel Association.
Interestingly, the same report noted that group business travel had actually fallen, but was expected to rise again.
The general growth of business travel is expected to continue in the coming years, so expect to see more and more new faces in your travels.
Business Travel is a Lucrative Industry
We hope that your business trips are helping you improve profits, because they are certainly boosting the bottom line of travel companies.
In 2017, U.S. business travel will become a $300 million industry, the Global Business Travel Association has predicted.The U.S. ranks second only to China in terms of industry value.
Consistent growth is expected at least through 2020, according to experts. By that year, the industry is expected to be worth a whopping $1.6 billion globally.
Hopefully these business travel statistics provide a baseline against which you can compare yourself and your own travels.
We know a thing or two about business travel here at PC Housing. We offer short- and long-term homes to business travelers across the U.S. and Canada. Choose a home over a hotel. Get in touch with us today to help plan your next trip.