Sharing economy shunned by UK business travellers, research suggests

Business travellers in the UK are shunning the sharing economy on their commute, according to new research. Fewer than one in three (28%) UK business travellers use a sharing economy service when travelling for work, despite nearly half of businesses having a policy in place allowing them to do so, according to Egencia. The business … Continue reading Sharing economy shunned by UK business travellers, research suggests

Business travellers in the UK are shunning the sharing economy on their commute, according to new research.

Fewer than one in three (28%) UK business travellers use a sharing economy service when travelling for work, despite nearly half of businesses having a policy in place allowing them to do so, according to Egencia.

The business travel arm of Expedia found that 41% of UK companies allow their employees to use sharing economy services, with 13% encouraging employees to use services like Airbnb, HomeAway, Lyft and Uber.

Egencia suggests that people choose the sharing economy experience for more comfort and convenience.

Of the travellers who use the sharing economy, over half (59%) say they do so to experiencing a local culture and meet new people while 49% say it’s for comfort and 40% for location.

The survey, of more than 6,000 business travellers, showed that 29% of business travellers around the world have chosen the sharing economy option, with travellers in the US (54%) and China (58%) more likely to.

The research was carried out by Northstar between April and May 2016.