On June 15, 2026 SAP Concur released a global travel survey that reveals a striking contradiction: 93 percent of business travelers say trips improve their well being yet 67 percent report severe hesitancy to travel because of rising geopolitical unpredictability and cyber threats. The finding exposes a new era of travel ambivalence where the clear human benefits of face to face work collide with practical fears that reshape corporate travel policy and executive decision making.
What the survey measured and why the results matter
The SAP Concur survey polled thousands of business travelers across regions and seniority levels about motives emotions and barriers related to work travel. Respondents cited improved collaboration career momentum and a deeper sense of purpose from in person meetings while simultaneously naming safety concerns as a major deterrent. For companies that depend on relationship driven deals product launches and cross border teams the results force a reckoning: how to preserve the human advantages of travel while reducing perceived and real exposure to geopolitical disruption and digital intrusion.
Personal stories that illustrate the tension
I spoke with managers and executives who captured the duality in plain terms. A regional director described the electricity of a post launch demo when a client stood and applauded in a crowded room. The memory motivated future travel. At the same time the same director now checks government travel advisories and corporate cyber briefings before accepting itineraries for certain capitals. Another executive postponed a critical face to face after their company flagged a local telecom breach that could expose mobile authentication codes. Those accounts show that travel decisions now exist at the intersection of emotional reward and security calculus.
Drivers of travel hesitancy
The survey identifies two broad clusters of concern. First, geopolitical unpredictability such as sudden border restrictions protests and localized conflict creates operational uncertainty. Travelers worry about disrupted itineraries evacuated meetings and personal safety. Second, cyber risk has become a lived reality for executives who handle sensitive negotiations and proprietary data. Public Wi Fi spoofing SIM swap attacks and targeted phishing that exploits travel related communications make business travelers an attractive vector for intrusion.
How perceptions shape behavior
Perceived risk often drives decisions more strongly than objective metrics because media reports and peer anecdotes amplify fear. Travelers may decline otherwise critical trips after seeing headlines about incidents in the destination city even when official advisories remain unchanged. That behavioral response matters because lost meetings translate into deferred deals and slower product cycles. At scale the hesitancy can alter corporate strategy on market entry and partnership building.
Corporate responses and policy shifts
Firms are adjusting travel policies to reflect the new dual reality of value plus vulnerability. Common responses include more rigorous pre travel risk assessments expanded use of managed travel platforms real time security briefings and encrypted device policies. Some companies require additional approval layers for travel to higher risk regions while others invest in local security partners to provide on the ground monitoring and emergency extraction options. Travel managers emphasize the need for clearer communication so employees understand both protections and expectations.
Technology solutions and their limits
Tools such as secure mobile VPNs enterprise mobility management and threat intelligence feeds reduce exposure to some cyber attacks. Managed travel platforms provide consolidated visibility into itineraries which helps security teams coordinate assistance. Yet technology alone cannot remove geopolitical uncertainty. Companies must pair digital safeguards with human centric preparations like contingency planning, local contacts and insurance coverage that includes political evacuation as needed.
Operational impacts on teams and business outcomes
When executives decline travel the immediate impact is often logistical: meetings moved online and schedules compressed. Over time the professional effects can be deeper. Relationship building, deal acceleration and tacit knowledge transfer rely on presence and serendipitous hallway conversations that are hard to replicate virtually. Human resources teams also report morale effects for staff who value travel as a career growth mechanism. Organizations are weighing when remote alternatives suffice and when in person engagement remains irreplaceable.
Hybrid approaches gaining traction
Many companies are adopting hybrid travel strategies that reserve in person trips for high impact moments such as contract signings leadership off sites and hands on technical onboarding while using virtual collaboration for status updates and routine coordination. Travel hubs that concentrate multi team meetings into single extended visits reduce frequency while preserving depth. The challenge remains designing clear criteria so that mission critical travel is protected without reverting to ad hoc approvals that frustrate planners.
Health and wellbeing perspectives
Travelers who report wellbeing gains attribute them to social connection reduced isolation and a clearer separation between work and home during business trips. Those benefits support creativity and career satisfaction yet must be balanced against stressors such as jet lag disrupted routines and the anxiety of uncertain environments. Employee assistance programs and pre travel counseling can help maintain the wellbeing advantages while mitigating mental health strains tied to travel risk perceptions.
Duty of care and employee trust
Survey respondents stressed that trust in employer duty of care influences willingness to travel. Clear emergency protocols rapid reimbursement processes and visible commitment to security build confidence. Travelers said they are more likely to accept trips when their employer demonstrates both preparedness and an understanding of the personal trade offs involved. That human trust is as important as any technological shield.
Recommendations for travel managers and executives
Practical steps can reconcile travel benefits with safety concerns. Companies should adopt transparent travel policies that include real time risk monitoring, layered cyber protections for mobile devices, and defined escalation pathways for changing security conditions. Investing in managed travel platforms improves visibility and simplifies emergency response. Finally consulting travelers in policy design and providing clear mental health supports helps align company expectations with employee realities.
Checklist for safer, more effective travel
- Perform pre travel risk assessments and publish concise traveler briefings.
- Require enterprise grade device security and provide secure connectivity options.
- Use consolidated itinerary management so security teams can track personnel in real time.
- Designate decision criteria for when to shift meetings to virtual or postpone.
- Offer mental health and decompression support for frequent travelers.
Broader implications for global business
If executive hesitancy persists companies may reconsider investment cadence in certain markets and rely more heavily on local teams for on the ground business development. That shift could reshape global operations and accelerate decentralization of client engagement. Yet the survey also suggests a resilient desire for human contact. The companies that succeed will be those that preserve opportunities for trusted in person connection while managing the risks that now accompany travel.
Conclusion
The SAP Concur survey surfaces a paradox at the heart of modern business travel: trips deliver measurable wellbeing and commercial value yet fear of geopolitical disruption and cyber intrusion is reshaping behavior. The remedy is practical and human centered. Strong duty of care, better technology, clearer policy and attention to mental health can keep people traveling when it matters most while reducing unnecessary exposure. Ultimately leaders must decide which face to face moments are worth the risk and then give travelers the tools and trust they need to accept them.
SAP Concur provides detailed survey findings and travel management resources, and the U S State Department Overseas Security Advisory Council offers guidance on country risk and protective measures for travelers
