What is the best way to balance work and leisure and what does ‘smart casual’ as a dress code really mean?
A new survey by LateRooms.com Business has revealed that 28 per cent of business travellers preferred heading back to their room to order room service, instead of socialising after hours with colleagues. This was particularly the case for the Northern Ireland Business travellers with almost a third (32 per cent) of people who found choosing between what was expected of them and what they wanted to do, the trickiest hurdle to navigate.
Research also highlighted that over a quarter (28 per cnet) of business travellers from Northern England struggled when it came to decide who foots the bill, and whether they order the fillet steak, or be polite with a cheaper alternative.
The research also revealed that the concept of the smart casual dress code provided one of the biggest headaches for business travellers. More than a quarter (26 per cent) of people struggled to decipher just what this meant when packing for a business trip, particularly those aged between 55-64 (37 per cent).
Knowing how to navigate a work-related drink situation was more of a concern than understanding appropriate etiquette for a greeting or departure, with 25-34 year old’s (38 per cent) being the largest age group who struggled to gauge how appropriate it is to order a large measure or shot when socialising with clients and colleagues. Edinburgh, Glasgow and Cardiff were revealed as the top cities where appropriate alcohol etiquette ranked as the highest concern relating to business trip travel.
Alongside staying in hotels that are nicer than you’d perhaps choose yourself, complimentary food and drink and enjoying perks of the mini bar, adding on extra travel days to business trips was a key focus when traveling for work. 43 per cent managed to squeeze in an extra two – three hours of leisure time whilst on a 24hr business trip and 41 per cent see business travel as a perk of the job and would love to travel more through work.
Free wi-fi (61 per cent), an onsite bar and restaurant (40 per cent) and indoor pool (33 per cent) facilities were the highest ranked considerations when booking a business trip with London, Edinburgh and the Lake District being the most sought-after places to visit for work.
