Almost half of corporate travellers have extended their stay when travelling overseas, but the majority are doing so online and "out-of-policy", research has found.
The GBTA and WWStay research (created through the GBTA Foundation) found that millenials (18-34) were more likely to take an extended stay than any other group, with almost three quarters (72%) having done so in the past 12 months.
The figure drops to 48% for those aged between 35 and 54, and 26% for business travellers over 55.
Where the research gets particularly interesting is in the booking channels corporate travellers are using to make their reservations.
Some 60% of business travellers are booking it themselves, leading to the obvious concern for some travel managers that they are then doing so out of company policy and therefore essentially "off-the-grid".
The channels being used are:
Details shared recently by Carlson Wagonlit into the gradual influence of services such as Airbnb on corporate travellers, so the GBTA research illustrates again how it could be having its presence felt.
Although the sharing economy giant was not named specifically in the research, a GBTA official says:
"In the case of Airbnb it would have been implied that it falls under 'directly on an extended stay website' or the 'directly on an extended stay mobile app' option."
The study also found that the main reasons business travellers are extending their stay are the ability to have their own cooking facilities (45%), amenities (40%) and a more homely feel (36%).
One of the main challenges facing travellers, the research found, was often a minimum stay requirement for guests.
NB:Extended stay NYC image via Shutterstock.