PETALING JAYA: There was a time when a business trip offered at least a few hours away from the office. Long flights meant being unreachable, hotel rooms provided a chance to unwind after meetings, and the journey itself created a natural pause in the working day.
Today, that pause has all but disappeared. Whether it’s replying to emails while waiting to board, joining video calls from an airport lounge, or logging into company systems from a hotel room, many professionals carry the office with them wherever they travel.
A recent global survey suggests this shift is changing not only the way people work on the road, but also what they expect from business travel.
Business travellers now make up almost one in five international travellers, with more than half aged under 35 – a sign that a younger, digitally connected workforce is reshaping expectations around work and mobility.
For many, staying connected is no longer simply a convenience: it has become essential to keeping pace with work.
More than four in 10 respondents said secure internet access was their top priority while travelling, ahead of speed or network coverage – reflecting the growing need to access company systems, cloud platforms and sensitive work documents from virtually anywhere.
The pressure to remain connected, however, comes at a cost, with nearly nine in 10 business travellers saying they had experienced stress because of connectivity problems while travelling.
This suggest a poor internet connection isn’t just frustrating – it can disrupt meetings, delay decisions, and add pressure to an already demanding trip.
The survey also found that younger professionals are increasingly embracing digital-first tools that allow them to get online quickly, while older travellers are more likely to rely on traditional roaming services.
Furthermore, seamless connectivity appears to have a direct impact on productivity. More than eight in 10 respondents whose employers provided digital-connectivity solutions reported feeling more productive while travelling.
Conversely, the report noted lower satisfaction among those relying on conventional roaming services or arranging their own internet access.
Ultimately, the findings reflect a broader shift in the nature of business travel. As technology continues to make it easier to work from almost anywhere, the challenge for many business travellers may no longer be finding an internet connection, but finding a moment to truly switch off.
