Welcome to the Women in Business Travel Survey 2016

In the US, according to market analysts Skift, women influence 85% of purchasing, account for 58% of online sales and control 60% of that country’s wealth. 47% of women who travel, travel on business and 80% of travel spend is managed by women.
 
Women are now the fastest growing segment of business travellers. Duty of Care legislation has demanded that employers take a more personal approach to business travel, and travel suppliers have reacted similarly.
 
The Cornell School of Hospitality’s report Creating Value for Women Travellers concluded that hotels catering for this market see a positive impact on their bottom line. In 2013 Hyatt Hotels launched the Hyatt for Her programme whilst, two years later, when Virgin Hotels opened in Chicago, Richard Branson commented - “I don’t think any hotel caters to the female traveller. It will give Virgin an edge to make sure we look after them."

To help savvy travel brands capitalize on the opportunity this demographic represents, they must focus on the needs of female business travellers in the key areas of security, assistance & information, dedicated services and social amenities.
 
That's why Maiden Voyage has partnered with five leading travel brands - Avis, CTI, International SOS, Priority Pass and Virgin Trains, supported by The Business Travel Magazine (TBTM) and Travel Intelligence Network (TIN), to create a study to determine how well the business travel sector is meeting the needs of the female business traveller.
 
Maiden Voyage helps corporates to meet their Duty of Care obligations whilst keeping female travellers secure, engaged and valued. We do this by working with safety organisations, transport and emergency services to provide members with travel safety tips and advice and the in-house delivery of female business traveller safety training.
 
The Women in Business Travel Survey 2016 will form part of a campaign targeting travel managers, travel security managers and HR heads. The results will be published in a special report being written by TIN, distributed to all 18,000 TBTM subscribers and launched at The Business Travel Conference in July 2016.
 
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey. As well as helping the business travel industry to understand the particular needs of female travellers, you may also, if you wish - enter a free draw to win one of the following prizes.
 
*   A pair of First Class return train tickets which can be used for a journey with Virgin Trains along the east coast.
*   A free weekend car hire voucher from Avis
*   Standard Plus membership from Priority Pass giving you access to airport lounges around the world.
*   Royal Afternoon tea for two at Red Carnation's Rubens at the Palace hotel, London
 
Simply enter your personal details at the end of this survey to enter the draw.
 
Thank you for your contribution to shaping the future of business travel for women.
 
Carolyn Pearson
CEO & Founder, maiden-voyage.com

 

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* 1. In which town or city do you live?

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* 2. On average, how many nights do you spend away from home on business trips per month?

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* 3. Which three cities do you travel to most frequently?

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* 4. Which of the following best describes your position within your organisation

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* 5. What industry do you work in?

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* 6. Please grade each of the following statements as either ‘strongly agree’, ‘agree’, ‘disagree’, ‘strongly disagree’ or ‘don’t know’

  Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree In some cases (e.g. hotels do, airlines don't...) Don't know
Travel companies treat male and female business travellers equally well
Travel companies treat male and female business travellers equally badly
Travel companies treat female business travellers better than male business travellers
Travel companies treat female business travellers less well than male business travellers
Travel companies need to try harder to address the specific needs of female business travellers

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* 7. Please grade each of the following statements as either ‘strongly agree’, ‘agree’, ‘disagree’, ‘strongly disagree’ or ‘don’t know’

  Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Don't know
My company travel policy recognises my gender-specific needs
I have no gender-specific needs
As a female business traveller, company policy should take account of my specific needs
My company’s lack of attention to my needs makes me less likely to comply with policy
My company should prioritise suppliers who pay special attention to the needs of female travellers
My experiences of our preferred travel providers affects whether I use that provider
My company travel provider/TMC gives such a great personal service that this issues doesn’t cross my mind
My company travel provider/TMC makes a big deal of looking after my needs as a female business traveller
My company travel provider/TMC makes no allowance for my needs as a female business traveller

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* 8. Which of the following have you encountered whilst travelling (please tick all that apply):

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* 9. Are there destinations where you would not travel as a woman, but would consider travelling were you a man?

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* 10. Is there a forum within your company that enables women travellers to discuss their experiences and share tips?

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* 11. Are you prepared or trained, prior to travel, by your company on how to respond to these type of incidents?

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* 12. Do you know who to turn to for help in case an incident happens to you on a trip?

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* 13. Where are hotel operators doing well, and not so well?
Please rank the following in order of importance to you (1 – 5 with 5 being most important) and in order of your experiences (1 – 5 with 5 being very good)

  Importance to you Your experiences in general
Hotel location
Hotel star rating
Treat male and female guests equally
Safety features such as double-locking doors
Offer a preference for room location (e.g. not on the ground floor)
Well lit corridors
Ensure well-lit car parks are monitored by CCTV
In-room facilities such as good quality hairdryers and toiletries
Discrete dining areas
Healthy food options
Discretion at reception during check-in (e.g. room number not announced)
Spa and leisure facilities

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* 14. What type of accommodation do you prefer to stay in when travelling by yourself on business?

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* 15. Where are airlines and airport operators doing well, and not so well Please rank the following examples of business travel needs relative to female business travellers, in order of importance (1 – 5 with 5 being most important) and in order of your experiences (1 – 5 with 5 being very good)

  Importance to you Your experiences in general
Staff attitudes towards female travellers
Treat female travellers the same as men
Show understanding re. safety concerns
Security of access to airport lounges whilst awaiting departure
Provision on in-lounge wellness facilities (e.g. showers, beds, spas etc)
Ensure well-lit car parks monitored by CCTV
Provision of flight delay/disruption information
On-board assistance with luggage etc
Security presence at taxi/shuttle bus pick-up points
Range/quality of on-airport services/facilities

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* 16. Does your company travel policy allow you access to airport lounges?

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* 17. Where are rail operators doing well, and not so well? Please rank the following examples of business travel needs relative to female business travellers, in order of importance (1 – 5 with 5 being most important) and in order of your experiences (1 – 5 with 5 being very good)

  Importance to you Your experiences in general
Staff attitudes to female travellers
Treat female travellers the same as men
Show understanding re. safety concerns
Booking & ticketing - ability to select your own seat
On-station facilities and assistance
On-train facilities and assistance
Ensure well-lit car parks are monitored by CCTV
Provision of train delay/disruption information

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* 18. How do you think the introduction of higher speed rail links in the UK will affect the amount of business you do in the UK

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* 19. Which modes of transport do you use for domestic business travel (i.e. in the UK) and why?

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* 20. What services, tailored to female business travellers, would you like to see from long distance train operators? Please rank from 1 - 3 in order of importance to you, with 1 being the most important

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* 21. Where are car rental providers doing well, and not so well? Please rank the following examples of business travel needs relative to female business travellers, in order of importance (1 – 5 with 5 being most important) and in order of your experiences (1 – 5 with 5 being very good)

  Importance to you Your experiences in general
Staff attitudes to female travellers
Treat female travellers the same as men
Show understanding re. safety concerns
Sensitivity to customer needs in choosing vehicle
Provide well-lit collection/drop off areas
Manned collection/drop off areas
Provision of safe route guidance information

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* 22. What services, tailored to a female business traveller, would you like to see from a car rental provider? Please rank 1 m- 3 in order of importance to you, with 1 being the most important

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* 23. What other ground transportation travel services do you use instead of car rental, and why?

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* 24. Where are company travel providers/TMCs doing well, and not so well? Please rank the following examples of business travel needs relative to female business travellers, in order of importance (1 – 5 with 5 being most important) and in order of your experiences (1 – 5 with 5 being very good)

  Importance to you Your experiences in general
Staff attitudes to female travellers
Treat female travellers the same as men
Show understanding re. safety concerns
Staff understanding re. female-friendly options
Highlighting areas of travel risk
Provision of 24 x 7 support

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* 25. How important is the location of your company travel provider/TMC?

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* 26. On a scale of 1 - 5, where 5 is very likely, how likely are you to choose providers who make special provision for female travellers over those who do not?

  Usage/compliance Brand loyalty Traveller safety Duty of care
Hotels
Air
Rail
Car rental
TMCs

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* 27. Please list, in order of importance, essential changes travel providers should make in order to improve the user experience for female business travellers

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* 28. Please enter me into the prize draw
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