Wellness in business travel is a rising trend that we expect to grow rapidly in 2020. The trend has emerged in recent years among business travellers wishing to maintain health and wellness routines on work trips. All over the world, people are striving to achieve their personal wellness goals regardless of where they are.

Frequent business travel, particularly long-haul, can have damaging effects on a person’s health and wellbeing. These can include poor diet, lack of exercise and also disruption to sleep routines. In addition, jet lag side effects also include mood changes, disorientation and fatigue. Travel is often essential to business objectives and a growing number of corporations are trying to improve employee wellness in business travel policies. In doing so, these businesses can reduce the above-mentioned effects on travelling employees and gain from enhanced productivity and performance.

How to keep on top of your own wellness in business travel

Much can be done personally to limit stress and maintain wellness when travelling. Prior to the business trip make sure your suitcase is packed and any airport arrangements are organised ahead of time. Ensure you are well rested on the day and day before flying, particularly if flying long-haul or with layovers.

Whilst flying avoid alcohol and caffeine, instead increase your water intake to remain alert and hydrated. Rest as much as you can onboard. Upon landing and if time allows, check in to the gym at your hotel. If you were sedentary for a long flight your body will thank you for this and the endorphins will boost you for the working day ahead.

At breakfast, start the day as healthy as possible. Avoid greasy fry ups and opt for fresh fruit, muesli, yoghurt or porridge instead. After a working day, allow yourself at least an hour before settling into the hotel bed for wellbeing activities. This could entail yoga, stretching or meditation, reading a book or enjoying a relaxing bath. Notably, you should bypass any phone or laptop activity during this final evening hour.

For further tips take a read of a previous blog piece; Jet Lag and Business Travel: How to Defeat It.

Recommendations for employers

Health and wellbeing of staff was once an afterthought. In short, happy and healthy staff contribute to better business outcomes. If it is pivotal that staff travel to gain or maintain business, then their wellbeing whilst travelling is key to consider or invest a little towards. Even more so when regular or long-haul travel itself can be so bearing on a person’s productivity.

Employers can maintain wellbeing in business travel policies in multiple ways. It can be as simple as booking the most strategic flights and hotels to reduce time travelling. It could be purchasing airport lounge access for employees travelling in economy, so that they have access to improved facilities. When budget allows, upgrading to business class is one of the most beneficial methods of improving wellbeing, allowing employees more comfort and means to sleep as well as better, often more nutritious meals. Booking hotels with fitness centres, pools, spas or classes provides the employee the opportunity to keep up with personal regimes.

Additionally, employers could allow their staff an extra day in the business trip destination for sightseeing. This is commonly known as Bleisure, the addition of leisure activities on a business trip. Bleisure is on the increase, particularly for long-haul business travellers, and is a fantastic way to provide employees with some downtime for their wellbeing. It is also relatively low cost to yourself as the employer.

How a business travel agent can help

Finally and most importantly, access to a business travel expert is critical from start to finish. A business travel agent can help to source you the very best hotels, flights, transfers and more. An experienced agent should also be able to put together an exceptional itinerary with a wellness focus and within company budget. Extensive industry knowledge from a business travel agent is unmatched.

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Looking for a hotel with morning and evening yoga classes? Or a hotel that offers ‘mindful meetings’? Easy.

Struggling to source a strategic multi-stop itinerary with no layovers? Need help finding exclusive business class fares for an employee travelling for critical business? Piece of cake.

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Even after booking, your business travel expert is there to alleviate stress. For example, in the unfortunate event of a flight delay or cancellation, your agent can make the most appropriate rearrangements for you. This is a massive positive in using an agent over manually booking business travel arrangements.

Your Travel Corporate are a rapidly growing business travel agent, offering a 24/7 dedicated expert, fast quotations and exclusive fares and prices. Not to mention, no booking fees on scheduled airlines, hotels or transfers and no contracts. Find out more about Your Travel Corporate here.

Call 0203 805 4599, email hello@yourcorporate.co.uk