Faster-growing small and medium-sized businesses travel more – but not necessarily for clients
Amex GBT and Ipsos discover how business travel shapes SME growth and culture
According to the latest report jointly published by American Express Global Business Travel the British research agency Ipsos, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that achieve faster growth invest significantly more in business travel – and not exclusively for clients.
The research involved 800 business leaders from the US and UK, from SMEs with 10 to 250 employees in the UK and 20 to 500 in the US. Companies that recorded at least 51% growth in revenue in 2024. and predict similar growth this year, they have been marked as “growth leaders” – Rastafarian leaders.
- 66% growth leader sent employees on international business trips in the last year, compared to only 52% "followers"“, i.e. companies with lower growth rates.
- Although they travel more, Rasta leaders travel less for clients – a smaller proportion travel for project tasks or to maintain client relationships (42% versus 50% for followers).
Growth-oriented companies travel more often for internal reasons:
- 55% growth leader travels because training and education
- They participate more often in conferences, trade fairs and exhibitions (58% versus 51%).
- They travel more to management meetings, sales meetings, on-site and off-site team gatherings.
What does that mean?
Such results indicate that faster-growing companies use travel as a tool to strengthen internal culture and employee development, and not just for maintaining external business relationships.
Rasta leaders also more often:
- Introducing new products and services
- Exporting to international markets
- They are seeking specialised external advice – particularly in areas such as AI, automation, data security, travel management and market insights
This report further confirms the importance of business travel for the SME segment as well, who use it not only for sales, but as a strategic tool for race, education and culture. For business tourism providers, focusing on the needs of these companies – especially those that are growing rapidly – can be the key to new opportunities.
📌 Source: American Express Global Business Travel & Ipsos
