Higher Education on the Move: Wakefield Survey Reveals Institutional Travel Challenges

Now in its sixth year, the Global Business Travel Survey, commissioned by SAP Concur through Wakefield research, explores the unique challenges facing business travelers in the higher education sector.

This year marks our first survey specifically focused on higher education, revealing how travel disruptions and tighter budgets are reshaping the landscape. It also revisits key themes from previous years, such as traveler flexibility and equitable access to business trips, to provide insights into the latest trends.

Understanding the Higher Education Context

Business travel plays a critical role in the higher education sector, contributing to academic collaboration, research opportunities, and professional development. However, recent findings indicate that these business travelers face unique challenges.

According to the global survey of 3,750 business travelers in 24 markets, the oversample of higher education respondents shows the following trends have emerged:

• Career Advancement: A significant 67% of U.S. business travelers in higher education consider business travel essential for career growth. This statistic underscores the importance of travel in academia, where networking and in-person collaboration are crucial.
• Flexibility Cutbacks: An overwhelming 94% of these travelers have experienced cutbacks in travel flexibility over the past year. For example, 34% reported cuts to authorizing remote work during personal travel, and 21% noted restrictions on adding personal travel to business trips.
• Impact of Disruptions: Business travel disruptions are a significant issue, with 85% of higher education travelers forced to take unanticipated actions due to unexpected circumstances in the past 12 months. This includes canceling or rescheduling meetings (49%) and enduring longer layovers or other delays (61%).

Tackling Travel Tension in Higher Education: Insights from the SAP Concur Traveler Survey

New research from SAP Concur and Wakefield highlights ongoing challenges in higher education between employees’ need for travel flexibility and universities’ goals to keep costs down.

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Travel Tensions and Cost-Cutting Measures

The current economic environment is driving tension among business travelers, travel managers, and academic leadership. Higher education institutions are not immune to these pressures, often prioritizing cost-cutting over flexibility.

This year’s report highlights several critical areas:

• Safety Concerns: Safety remains a top priority, with 51% of higher education travelers willing to decline a trip due to safety concerns about the destination. Additionally, 34% would refuse a trip because of the safety of the mode of transportation.
• Sustainability vs. Flexibility: While 25% of higher education travelers report their institution is more focused on sustainable travel options, many are willing to decline trips over environmental impacts or lack of sustainable options.

Addressing These Challenges

To navigate these challenges, higher education institutions can adopt several strategies:

1.Connect with Travelers: Regularly survey employees to understand their travel experiences and challenges. Key questions might include:

• Do you feel you have equal opportunity to take business trips compared to coworkers?
• What challenges have you experienced during your business trips in the past year?
• Do you feel safe when traveling for business?
• What would improve your experience or make you feel more comfortable?
• What resources are most helpful to you when booking business travel?

2. Act on Insights: Use survey responses to create actionable plans. Implement travel tools that help employees navigate challenges, revisit travel policies, and consider improvements that enhance their booking and travel experiences.

3. Leverage AI and External Resources: Higher education travelers are open to AI-enabled options, with 91% considering such tools for booking travel. However, only 7% are currently using these options.

Institutions can support the adoption of AI by providing training, ensuring data protection, and offering the option to use non-AI tools if preferred. Additionally, partnering with travel management companies and duty of care suppliers can provide solutions to travel disruptions.

Travel with Confidence: SAP Concur Enhances Business Trips in Higher Education

Business travel is evolving rapidly, and your travelers expect more than ever from their travel solutions. Given the significant cost and the crucial role travel plays in your institution's success, these needs cannot be ignored. Facing unique challenges, business travelers in higher education must be flexible to cutbacks, travel disruptions, and safety concerns. By understanding these issues and implementing targeted strategies, institutions can better support their traveling faculty, staff, students, and other college employees. This support ensures that they continue to benefit from the invaluable opportunities that business travel provides, ultimately contributing to the well-being and advancement of your institution.

For more detailed insights, download our infographic on business travel in higher education.