Recent research conducted by Flight Centre’s Corporate Traveller has shed light on how the opportunity to travel for work impacts employees’ decisions regarding annual leave.

The study revealed that 54% of employees stated that business travel would influence how they utilised their annual leave entitlements.

The findings, gathered from a survey of 1001 Australians representing a cross-section of demographics, underscored significant variations in attitudes towards annual leave influenced by factors such as age and geographic location.

Notably, Generation Z individuals (aged 18-24) emerged as the group most likely to reduce their annual leave usage if provided with the opportunity for work-related travel, with 56% expressing this inclination.

Conversely, Baby Boomers (aged 55-69), particularly those aged 55-64, were least likely to alter their annual leave habits due to business travel, with 56% indicating that travel for work would have no impact on their leave decisions.

Key insights

• Millennials and Generation X individuals (aged 25-54) were more inclined to extend work trips to include leisure time, with 32% and 31%, respectively, expressing this intention.
• Queenslanders exhibited a lower propensity to be influenced by work-related travel benefits compared to respondents from other states, with 55% stating that travel for work would not impact their annual leave usage.
• The research also delved into the potential benefits of combining business and leisure travel, highlighting cost savings and the opportunity to explore new destinations.

Tom Walley, the Australian-based Global Managing Director at Corporate Traveller, emphasised the significance of age, life stage, and location in shaping employees’ attitudes towards annual leave utilisation.

He noted that younger workers, in particular, may view the prospect of traveling for work as a novel experience and an opportunity to explore new places outside of their usual routine.