UK offices drive premium business travel decisions, research finds
New research has found that offices play a central role in shaping business travel decisions among UK professionals, positioning the workplace as a key location for brands seeking to influence high-value audiences.
The study, conducted by VIOOH in partnership with ECN, surveyed 600 business travellers across the UK, France, and Germany. The findings indicate that 68% of UK professionals book business travel and 58% arrange accommodation directly from their office. This is coupled with a growing expectation among business leaders for increased travel activity, with 77% of UK C-Suite executives anticipating a rise in business travel over the next year - the highest level compared to their peers in France and Germany.
Business travel trends
UK business travellers showed a marked preference for premium travel experiences compared to their European counterparts. The report revealed that 56% of UK respondents favour Business or First Class on short-haul flights, rising to 71% for long-haul journeys. Similarly, almost half (49%) prefer First Class for rail travel, and 75% favour rideshares or taxis when travelling to and from transport hubs.
The frequency of travel among senior professionals is also notable, with 47% of UK C-suite respondents travelling for business three or more times per month. The intention to increase travel in the coming year among UK executives outpaces Germany, where 75% of senior leaders expect to travel more, and France, where the figure stands at 47%.
The office as a decision hub
The report highlights offices - especially those located in Central Business Districts - as critical environments for advertising aimed at business travellers. Offices have become the most anticipated and high-frequency touchpoint for professionals engaged in travel decision-making, with 66% of UK respondents expecting to see IT and technology advertising in their workplace, compared to 62% anticipating such advertising at airports and 41% at rail stations.
Personal and business banking brands are also strongly associated with office advertising, both cited at 60% by UK respondents, while travel and luxury brands remain more closely linked to airport advertising environments.
This trend is reflected in actual booking behaviour. The report indicates that more than two-thirds of UK business travellers conduct their travel planning and reservations at the office, highlighting its significance as a conversion point for marketers seeking to engage with professionals at the precise moment of decision-making.
Attitudes toward advertising
The research found that UK business travellers exhibit a higher interest in certain advertising categories than their European counterparts. IT and technology brands are top of mind, with 72% expressing interest in seeing related advertisements, followed by travel brands (68%) and personal banking and finance (55%). Automotive and luxury advertisements are of least interest at 37% and 39% respectively.
Indoor out-of-home (OOH) advertising enjoys considerable trust among European professionals, with 40% of all respondents indicating trust in this format. Trust levels rise further among high-value segments, including 46% of C-Suite executives, 43% of professionals based in city centres, and 44% of employees at large firms.
"UK business travellers represent a highly valuable, premium-focused audience that's reshaping the media landscape," said Jean-Christophe Conti, Chief Executive Officer at VIOOH. "The office has emerged as the most reliable and frequent touchpoint for reaching these professionals, offering brands repeated, predictable impressions at the crucial moment when travel decisions are being made. For advertisers seeking to connect with today's mobile professional class, city-centre offices should be a central focus."
Charles Parry-Okeden, Global CEO at ECN, also emphasised the evolving role of offices in the business travel ecosystem. He said, "This research confirms what we see daily: business travel begins in the office. For brands, the office isn't just a place of work – it's where decisions are made, from booking flights to buying luggage and planning experiences. ECN's premium office media network connects advertisers to professionals in these decisive moments, delivering high attention, trust, and a video first, content rich relevance that few other environments can match."
The findings suggest that as business professionals increasingly return to city-centre offices, these environments will remain instrumental for advertisers hoping to engage a premium audience at key decision points.
