The rising stars of business travel are expecting more from the journey – and they know how to get it
Business travel isn’t just about getting from point A to point B anymore – for Gen Z and Millennials, it’s about creating experiences that acknowledge the real cost of being away from home while maximizing both professional growth and personal well-being. Understanding the unique priorities of younger generations is critical for shaping the future of business travel.
As the already dominant demographic in the workforce today, these generations have ample influencing power:
• Millennials (born 1981-1996) are now in mid-career roles, often in managerial or leadership positions, and make up 36 percent of the workforce.
• Gen Z (born 1997-2012) comprises approximately 27 percent of the US workforce (approximately 50 million workers), a jump from 18 percent in 2023. They are projected to reach 30 percent by 2030.
• Together, according to Deloitte, they will account for over 70 percent of the workforce by 2030. By contrast, Gen X (born 1965 -1980) now accounts for 31 percent.
For younger employees, business travel is often exciting and aspirational, not just functional. “And they want more of it,” says Anita Salvatore, CEO, Corporate Travel Management North America. “We conducted recent market research with over 700 Millennial and Gen Z business travelers globally. Although 70 percent of them traveled for business between 1 to 5 trips per year and 17 percent took over 6 trips a year, this is still not enough for the Next Gen.”
Events are the most common reason for both Millennial and Gen Z workers to take business trips, according to CTM data. 44 percent say conferences, events, and trade shows are their primary reason for travel, followed by training/education (42 percent) and sales/customer meetings (38 percent). The top perks of business travel are seen as experiencing new destinations (51 percent), collaborating with colleagues and partners (47 percent), taking a break from routine (46 percent), and meeting new people (37 percent).
Millennials and Gen Z are reshaping what in-person gatherings look like. For many of these employees, corporate travel is a brand-new experience – and it can come with a lot of nerves.
According to research from Hilton, 54 percent of Gen Zer’s and 48 percent of Millennials are more likely than their older counterparts to report struggling to make new connections at meetings and conferences. In fact, 78 percent of respondents said they sometimes just need a break during work events. Food is another common stressor for many attendees. People worry about spills (38 percent) or getting food stuck in their teeth (30 percent), the Hilton survey found.
Intentional and Value-Driven
“Let’s be honest about what business travel actually looks like in 2025,” says Rui Diemart, managing director of tax at KPMG, who recently spoke at the Forum for Expatriate Management in Dallas. “You’re up at 5 AM to catch a flight, spend 8 to 10 hours in meetings, then find yourself answering e-mails in your hotel room until midnight because your regular responsibilities didn’t pause while you were away. What was supposed to be a two-day trip becomes a week-long recovery period where you’re playing catch-up on everything that piled up.”
Younger professionals see this clearly, Diemart maintains. “If we’re going to sacrifice our personal time, weekends, and family dinners for business travel, the experience better be worth it. It is important to make thoughtful investments that make us more productive on the road, such as:
• Seamless travel experiences: TSA Precheck, lounge access, and priority boarding aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re productivity tools that give us back hours we can use for actual work.
• Technology that travels with us: Reliable WiFi, charging stations, and mobile hotspots so we can stay connected without the stress of hunting for outlets in airports.
• Quality accommodations in smart locations: Hotels that understand business travelers need workspace, not just a a bed – and are located where we can grab dinner without a 45-minute commute.”
For Millennials who grew up alongside the digital revolution, the ability to manage travel arrangements without friction is non-negotiable. “First and foremost, ease,” explains Millennial Robert Smith, managing director at KPMG. “This includes ease of booking both domestic and international travel and being able to do it from my mobile device. I shouldn’t have to spend an hour or two when I get somewhere setting up my infrastructure.”
Mobile apps, AI-powered assistants, real-time updates, automated expense tools, and synced itineraries are baseline expectations. Employers are listening, and offering a host of personalized and contactless services. “All expect access to the best personalized rates and fares. They want to shop and book in the channel of their choice – this is almost always mobile, though quality offline serving remains highly valued during periods of disruption,” notes Martin Ferguson, managing partner at Kintela Group, a communications and events firm that specializes in business travel, based in the UK.
The Rise of Bleisure
For Generation Z, work travel represents something slightly different – a blend of professional development and life experience. This generation views business travel as an opportunity to gain exposure to new environments and build connections across a global workforce. “I believe most Gen Z want to also experience the culture more in addition to just traveling for work,” says Mitchell Braunstein, a Gen Z’er and tax associate at KPMG.
This longing for cultural immersion may be a reason behind the popularity of bleisure, where authentic stays, adventurous itineraries and alternative co-working events become Instagram-able nuggets. This type of organic content creation serves to enrich the bleisure trip and provides a measure of peer connection too.
Life Goes On
Another non-negotiable for these generations is wellbeing. After years of isolation during the COVID-19 era, there’s renewed appreciation for face-to-face collaboration, but not at the expense of mental and physical health. And unfortunately, burnout is real. According to Deloitte, “84 percent of Millennials say they have experienced burnout at their current job, and nearly half of Millennials that were surveyed say they have left a job specifically because they felt burned out.”
Travel expectations now include on-the-go wellness amenities (gyms, healthy meals, sleep-friendly hotel rooms), access to mental health apps, flexible schedules, and a prioritization of work-life balance over the traditional “hustle culture.”
The relationship between employer and employee expectations has fluctuated significantly in recent years. While many companies implemented remote work policies during the pandemic to meet employee demands, the current trend of return-to-office mandates in 2025 seems to be shifting power back to employers. However, this shift may come with consequences.
“The younger generation is more inclined to jump ship,” notes Smith. “This willingness to change employers stems from multiple factors, including decreased value placed on long-term career progression at a single company, new opportunities for self-employment and content monetization, a desire to experience life in the present rather than defer experiences to retirement and economic uncertainty about the future.”
Sheridan Abraham, a faculty lecturer at York College, City University of NY, concurs. “While my students say they want work-life balance, I remind them that adaptability is key – especially with changing RTO policies.” Abraham focuses on preparing college students for improving their global networking skills and landing their dream jobs, but often hear that they don’t want to work all the time, “like their parents’ generation did.”
Ferguson adds, “Most young employees want a stable job. They’re no different from Gen Xers. But Gen Z and the Millennials are less loyal. For them, it’s more about lifestyle. Ultimately, talent acquisition teams need to strike a balance to attract and retain the best people. That quite often means building flexibility into a work-from-home versus office-based policy.”
Reducing Carbon
“Gen Z is value-driven and eco-friendly,” notes Misbah Syed, a Gen Z’er and tax associate at KPMG, highlighting this generation’s increased focus on sustainability in all aspects of work. Whether it’s supporting environmentally credentialed suppliers or farm-to-table dining – eco-friendly options are a must.
CTM’s Salvatore agrees: “A significant portion places value on sustainability, with 57 percent expecting employers to pay more for sustainable business travel services and over half considering sustainable services when booking airlines (55 percent) and hotels (51 percent).”
Despite their appetite for experiences, these travelers are budget-aware and resourceful, and know how to leverage their money efficiently. Millennials, now in their career-building years, recognize the value of comfort during business travel and are often willing to supplement employer-covered expenses such as lodging or flight upgrades.
“Our younger employees compare multiple options, ask the tough questions, and even build their own packages,” says Francisco Solis, senior manager of global immigration at global commercial real estate services firm CBRE. “They might prefer an Airbnb instead of the standard hotel or ask for unique perks like destination services or tax services in global mobility packages,” Solis explains.
“Our research shows that when it comes to air travel, their top priorities are price, flight schedules and on-time performance; so they are price sensitive and value their time,” adds CTM’s Salvatore. “We also know that less than half of the respondents (42 percent) said they would be swayed to select a travel supplier based on their loyalty program, seeking greater discounts, free flights or upgrades and priority treatment.”
Who’s Got Talent?
Transparency is a key value for younger generations, who increasingly demand clear success metrics when it comes to business travel. “Business travel should be positioned as a growth opportunity that people compete for, not a chore that gets assigned,” cautions Diemart.
“The companies that get this right will have a significant advantage in attracting and keeping top talent. When business travel is done thoughtfully – with proper support, clear objectives, and meaningful recognition – it becomes a differentiator that makes professionals want to stay and grow with your organization,” she continues. “This means travel assignments come with mentorship opportunities and expanded responsibilities. Trip outcomes are tied to professional development goals, not just project deliverables; and companies invest in travel experiences that their employees actually want to share on social media (because that’s free employer branding).”
Salvatore maintains that it’s important for any business to understand the value this cohort places on the ways business travel contributes to their professional fulfilment. “What we know from our research is that collaborating with colleagues and partners is one of the top three things they enjoy most about business travel, and 70 percent expect their travel to increase as they climb the corporate ladder. For many, it’s not just a nice-to-have: 57 percent say it’s especially important for their career progression, 51 percent for performing well in their roles, and 45 percent for overall job satisfaction. It really shows how much value this group places on travel as part of their professional journey.”
Companies face a significant challenge in balancing operational requirements with the expectations of younger employees. In fact, “the goal of most companies (train and retain talent) is opposed to what younger generations value,” observes Smith. So what’s the key to attracting young talent? It boils down to understanding that their priorities are simply different. According to Deloitte, “only 6 percent of Gen Z and Millennial respondents said their primary career goal is to reach a leadership position”. Rather, it’s about opportunities to thrive both personally and professionally.
Typically more digitally native, values-driven, and experience-oriented, Gen Z and Millennial experiences shape their travel behavior, loyalty, and preferences in a distinctive way. “As businesses adapt to changing workforce demographics,” Syed says, “corporate travel programs that successfully balance company needs with employee values will likely gain advantages in both operational efficiency and talent retention.”
