Business travellers have less appetite for the expat lifestyle than before the pandemic according to a new survey with one in ten say that expats weren’t properly supported by organisations during the pandemic.
The survey commissioned by World Travel Protection, finds that over one in ten say the pandemic has put them off the expat lifestyle. This is largely down to the risks involved in living abroad, and in particularly to not being able to get home to see friends and family if Covid-like restrictions were reintroduced.
Over one in seven say they would refuse a work placement abroad, of three months or more, that they would have accepted pre-pandemic. Over one in five women also say they would refuse a work placement now, compared to 14% of men.
However, there are still plenty of business travellers who would ‘love’ to live and work abroad, rising to 29% of over 45s.
Over one in five also say it would benefit their career if they worked abroad, and 16% say they would have a better quality of life. Almost a fifth also say that’s it is easier for them to work from anywhere now.
Kate Fitzpatrick said: “Expats are very important to a lot of business structures, but it appears that the allure of working abroad has diminished as a consequence of the pandemic. Organisations will have to work hard to instil confidence and regain excitement about placements overseas. Safety and security will play a major role in this as employees will need to know that comprehensive procedures are in place, particularly when it comes to getting home in an emergency situation.”