The ability to effectively communicate safety and risk to the next generation of business travelers and the continued rise of the “bleisure” travel trend were the key highlights of a recent education session that took place during the 2024 GBTA Convention in Atlanta.
The session included insights into the behaviors and travel preferences of Gen Z, the generation often defined as being born between 1997 and 2012. The speakers on the panel included Emese Graham, diversity, equity and inclusion manager, Flight Centre Travel Group; Lydia Paglierani, Americas marketing executive, FCM Travel; and Tyler Hosford, regional security manager, International SOS. As part of the findings shared during the presentation, it was determined that increased communication with the Gen Z business traveler is more important than ever, especially since those in Gen Z tend to take greater risks and are often less afraid of things that older generations have previously deemed as not safe.
As a Gen Z member shaped by a pandemic and wars in recent times, Paglierani shared that risk management and safety are essential for her now when she travels for work. “I think streamlined communications when traveling is definitely the most effective way to flag updates, such as booking information, travel notifications or trip changes,” said Paglierani. “And to do so through either text messages of push notifications so you don’t get inundated with updates from multiple channels.”
The session also revelated that Gen Z has different considerations than previous generations, with 28 percent now identifying as LGBQT+ and only 15 percent believing they have “excellent” mental health. And the fact that they’ve grown up around various crises, their travel behaviors are also different. Therefore, Graham noted that it is vital for travel policymakers to remember the “DITTO” system when communicating with this generation—“when looking at the Gen Z profile, you need to have diversity, individualism, teamwork, technology and organizational support included within your travel policy.”
Furthermore, a poll in the session showed that 53 percent of Gen Z travelers look to prioritize their wellness when on the road (upgrades, bleisure, safety and more), which led the way in terms of travel preferences for this generation. “The ‘bleisure’ travel trend and having it included in your travel policy can be used as an employee value proposition, said Hosford. “It’s great for recruitment because why wouldn’t you want to work for a company that is supportive of including leisure in your travel in a safe and supportive way? But this can also create things to be aware of in terms of risks, security, and safety. So it’s key for your traveler that they feel supported.”
According to the session, below are the top ways to transform a travel program for the Gen Z generation:
- Communication
- Streamline as much as possible. Minimize the number of necessary apps and logins.
- When communicating, be clear, direct and concise.
- Lean heavily on push notifications and text updates and implement technology that provides contextual safety and risk information.
- Provide comprehensive safety and risk information up front so Gen Z can assess their risk before traveling. Make sure there are safe and clear follow-up channels.
- Policy adjustments
- Negotiate additional benefits into your contracts that would be more amenable to Gen Z, such as Wi-Fi, lounge discounts and meal packages.
- Do a comprehensive risk assessment of your travel locations and make this information available to your travelers.
- Ensure risk management strategy includes a clear social media policy.
- Incorporate DEI into your travel program/organization: Try starting with gender/sexuality, disability and neurodiversity, and race/ethnicity.
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