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Business tourism is concerned with people travelling for purposes that are related to their work. As such it represents one of the oldest forms of tourism, a man having travelled for this purpose of trade since very early times. (Davidson, 1994)
Or in more concise words, business travel is a journey specifically taken for work purposes and doesn’t include daily commutes, leisure trips or holidays.
Origin of business tourism
Astonishingly, business tourism has witnessed a greater boom than leisure tourism since 1950. The two major reasons accounting for this growth are the increase in supply and growth in demands.
In the contemporary period, business tourism is a big industry, being at the very core of the tourism market. The World Trade Organization confirms that around 30% of international trips are for business.
Importance of business travel
It is astonishing that despite there being readily available modes of communication, such as Skype or emails, business travel is booming and is quite irreplaceable. There is an assortment of reasons why technology cant substitute business travel. Let’s have a look at a few of them.
Networking
Top business leaders understand the importance of face to face networking. In this era of modern technology, people appreciate efforts made to conduct business in person. It builds trust and some really strong networks that will be beneficial for a business in the future.
Apart from that, the traditionally trusted way of business has always been face-to-face interaction between two parties. Ease of transport for business travel has simply reduced the time for increased distance travelled by these parties; making it possible to do business over a much larger area than before.
Keeping a check
Every small aspect of business cannot be conducted through the use of technology. For example, you would prefer to visit your factory to make sure the work setting, as well as the manufacturing process of your product, is in optimal condition. The bigger a business grows, the harder it is to keep track of it. It is imperative that an owner goes to every office he has across the globe and checks each office privately every once awhile.
International trading
Growing businesses are constantly looking for new ideas and potential suppliers to help expand their business. International business travel makes it possible to obtain the best possible materials and contacts from foreign countries.
In fact, the whole idea of outsourcing a team for your business will at some point require you to personally visit them for a variety of reasons.
Fostering relationships
Business travel makes it possible to cultivate personal interactions and a strong professional relationship where colleagues can communicate effectively with lesser chances of misunderstanding for better business relationships in the future.
More than just a job
With workforce dynamics shifting with the influx of younger generations, job flexibility is a desirable job characteristic. It fosters a sense of independence as well as a chance to work away from their desk, offering a rewarding job responsibility.
Even so, you can’t be expected to work 24/7 while on a business trip. You could probably wrap things up quickly and head out to explore the city.
All in all, business travel is expected to keep growing and accelerating. With faster travel options and increasing businesses, you can only expect people to be travelling more and more for work.
This is a collaborative post.
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
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