EUROPE: New data published by Business Travel Show Europe reveals that minority groups of business travellers, including women, the neurodivergent and those from the LGBTQ+ community, are being neglected when it comes to travel policies and programmes.
More than half – 55 per cent – of the 115 travel buyers surveyed stated they do not provide special consideration for LGBTQ+ travellers – a slight increase from 54 per cent in 2024.
Only nine per cent stated they are planning to provide special consideration in the future and just over a fifth (22 per cent) already do – a decline from 27 per cent in 2024.
The findings from the research showed only a quarter – 29 per cent – of travel managers take into account specific needs of solo women travellers, down from just over a third – 36 per cent – in 2024.
The results were consistent with a general finding that corporate travel needs to do more to include travellers with additional needs and from minority groups.
Carolyn Pearson, CEO of Maiden Voyage, a business travel safety training provider, said of the results: “The findings are concerning given that we are seeing increased risk to minority groups of travellers. We know that women face specific challenges related to pregnancy (such as Zika virus exposure), varying airline fit-to-fly protocols, and menopause supplements that are illegal in some countries.
“Likewise LGBTQ+ employees face severe safety threats and travellers with disabilities face unique challenges related to accessibility and accommodation, sometimes leading to serious disruptions to their travel plans. Employers have a duty of care toward their employees and appropriately preparing employees to travel is a better outcome for all, morally, fiscally and legally.”
Those travellers with accessibility needs are also facing greater marginalisation as just over a third – 35 per cent – of respondents stated that they do offer special consideration, a marked decline from 43 per cent in 2024 and 48 per cent in 2023.
And despite estimates that up to 20 per cent of the global population is now neurodivergent, this cohort also continues to face the challenge of inclusion when it comes to corporate travel. Only 15 per cent of respondents to this year’s survey consider neurodivergent travellers, down from 18 per cent last year.
Business Travel Show Europe marketing director Jonathan Carter-Chapman said: “For travel managers and corporates to unlock the potential of our minority groups, they need to take a more inclusive approach to corporate travel policies, programmes and reporting to understand where and how they can make a contribution to corporate growth.”
This year’s Business Travel Show Europe includes a session on “Sustainability and other ESG strategies that work” where buyers will have the chance to learn more about applying equal opportunities across their programmes and implementing a more inclusive approach in the future.
Business Travel Show Europe takes place at Excel London from June 25-26, 2025 alongside TravelTech Show and The Meetings Show.
115 corporate travel and procurement professionals, EAs and PAs were polled in March 2025. 78 per cent of these were travel managers, 17 per cent in procurement and 5 per cent EAs/PAs. The geographical split was UK – 36 per cent, Europe – 47 per cent, RoW – 17 per cent.
Photo by Mathias Reding on Unsplash