Women account for 57% of the business travel workforce, although men hold 61% of senior roles at VP level and above. These differences are reflected in travel frequency, with 53% of women taking one to two trips annually compared to 43% of men, while 24% of men undertake six or more trips per year, compared to 16% of women.
Travel demand is increasing across genders, with 29% of men and 27% of women reporting higher travel activity compared to pre-pandemic levels. Business travel remains closely linked to organisational performance, with more than three-quarters of travellers stating it supports business objectives.
Generational trends indicate that younger workers are less likely to prioritise face-to-face interaction. In the US, 53% of Gen Z and 59% of Millennials consider in-person contact essential, compared to 63% of Gen X. Younger travellers are also more likely to experience stress, with 47% of Gen Z reporting travel-related challenges, compared to 43% among Millennials and Gen X.
Despite the increasing use of digital tools, most travellers continue to value human support, with an average of 73% preferring to speak to a person when issues arise during travel.
Millennials are driving changes in travel behaviour, with 68% adding leisure time to business trips. This trend is influencing corporate travel policies, particularly in areas such as trip extensions, expense management and duty of care.
Analysis of job-market data shows that business travel demand varies significantly by region when adjusted for population. Kansas ranks highest with 4.30 travel-related roles per 100,000 people, followed by Iowa with 4.20 and Washington with 3.74, indicating higher travel intensity in these states.
Sector analysis identifies healthcare and nursing as the largest contributors to business travel demand, accounting for 49.5% of roles requiring travel. Engineering represents 11.5%, while sales roles account for 8%, reflecting the importance of mobility in service delivery, project oversight and client engagement.
“Business travel continues to play a critical role in how organizations operate, collaborate, and grow. While technology has transformed how teams stay connected, the data shows that in-person engagement remains essential across a range of roles, industries, and regions.
“States like California, Texas, and Florida stand out because they combine economic scale with activity spread across multiple hubs, making travel a practical necessity rather than a nice-to-have. Similarly, industries such as healthcare, engineering, and sales rely heavily on mobility to deliver services, support projects, and maintain client relationships.
“For employers, understanding where travel demand is coming from helps shape smarter travel policies and better support for employees on the move. And for workers, it highlights where opportunities exist to build careers that combine flexibility, progression, and meaningful face-to-face connection.
“For SMEs, understanding who is traveling – across genders and generations – and where demand is concentrated by industry and state isn’t just an interesting insight, it’s a practical planning tool. It’s also a benchmark for industries where travel is truly business-critical, which hubs and routes to prioritize to leverage the best connections and business facilities, and which groups of employees may need more flexibility or support. Booking.com for Business can help with this, offering a travel policy builder tool and bringing visibility into one place; this can simplify the process of managing bookings, reporting, and control without adding administrative burden.” said Joshua Wood, Managing Director at Booking.com for Business.
Tags: Business travel Joshua Wood, Booking.com for Business USA
