WORLD - The Accor Asia Pacific Business Traveller Survey 2012 has revealed Australian and New Zealand business travellers are least likely to mix business and pleasure while travelling on company time and money.

Meanwhile, meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) travel accounted for 28 per cent of all trips taken in the first six months of 2012. The quality of the agenda/programme (59%) is what drives Australian business travellers to attend MICE events rather than to seek business development opportunities.

The survey of 2,586 respondents in eight countries across the Asia Pacific was conducted by global research consultancy ORC International. The destinations covered included Australia, China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand.

The survey found Australians concentrate on business, rather than pleasure; when asked whether they had extended their business trip to take a holiday break or to visit friends and family or had taken a friend or partner on the trip, Australian and New Zealand corporate travellers were the least likely of the eight countries surveyed.

Only 11 per cent of Australians said they had extended their trip to visit friends and relatives, a mere 11 per cent had tacked on a holiday and just 15 per cent of respondents had taken a friend or partner along on a business trip. This compares with 33 per cent of Thai, 25 per cent of Malaysians and 20 per cent of Hong Kongers who have extended their business trips to take a holiday.

Australians are also reluctant to use the corporate credit card for ‘ancillary’ services such as the mini bar, spa treatments and in-house movies, though Australian men are more likely to be profligate than female business travellers.

Accor is the largest hotel group in Australia with 200 hotels under brands such as Sofitel, Sea Temple, Pullman, Quay West, MGallery, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Sebel, Citigate, All Seasons, and Ibis.

Accor is set to introduce free Wi-Fi in all of its Asia-Pacific properties by the end of this year. The group has 500 hotels in the Asia-Pacific region and currently offers free internet in many of its mid-scale brands.

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