New research from American Express reveals that small business leaders are dreaming of rediscovering the joys - and ongoing benefits - of travel, with approaching two-thirds (65%) planning to take multiple trips in 2022, and almost seven in 10 (68%) stating that personal travel boosts their ability to run their business well.

The research found that SME owners and decision makers believe personal travel is key for creating the headspace needed to recover from the day-to-day pressures of running a small business, with 82% agreeing that travel is important to help them step away from the day job, relax and gain fresh perspective. 

Interestingly, six in 10 (60%) feel they make better business decisions after returning from a holiday, showing the importance of taking time out to ongoing business success. Plus, one third (33%) say they use personal trips as an opportunity to grow their network and explore new opportunities, suggesting that the anticipated rebound in travel may also offer a boost to business' future prospects.

However, the majority of small business leaders do face the constant challenge of switching off completely from work, with almost six in 10 (58%) admitting to frequently checking and responding to business emails and enquiries when on holiday.

Evan Lubeck, Vice President Global Commercial Services at American Express, commented: “Running a small business is tough and all-consuming and, because of the restrictions on travel during the pandemic, it’s been mostly all work and no play. Our research reveals just how important travel is to helping small businesses leaders rest and recharge - and for them to make better decisions when they return to the shopfloor.

“The prospect of travelling more freely again this year is exciting for all of us. We're committed to helping hardworking small business leaders make the most of their everyday business spending, from advertising to accountancy fees, to earn rewards that help give them the opportunity to enjoy some downtime.”

For a limited time*, new Cardmembers who sign up for the British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card can earn a welcome bonus of 45,000 Avios when they spend £5,000 on the Card in the first three months – helping business owners turn their everyday business spending into Avios they can use for personal travel trips. As an example, 45,000 Avios would be enough for three off-peak one-way economy flights to New York or an off-peak one-way premium economy flight to Cape Town. The Card has a representative 96.7% APR variable.

The recently refreshed British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card also has a new tiered Avios Annual Bonus that gives Cardmembers 10,000 bonus Avios for every £20,000 of spend, up to three times per calendar year. This means Cardmembers can earn up to an additional 30,000 bonus Avios annually.