Survey finds world’s business travelers kept their minds on fitness

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It might not on the surface be the most healthy way of living - what with all those breakfast buffets and sedentary long-haul flights - but the world's business travelers claim they still have well-being on their minds when they take off on their trips.

A new survey by Regus - the "world's largest provider of workplace solutions" - has found that 27 percent of business travelers say the most unusual item they pack before their trips is fitness gear. The second most popular response was a family photograph (16 percent), followed by a gift for their hosts on the trip (15 percent).

The results for individual countries revealed fitness wear was a must-take item for 47.1 percent of Australians, 39.9 percent of Americans and 33.5 percent of Hongkongers. But only 14.4 percent of Japanese said they fancied a workout with their trips.

If you happen to be hosting some Japanese visitors, however, you'd apparently better clear a little space - of all the world's business travelers, they are the most likely to bring you a gift (29.1 percent).

For Chinese business people the most common non-business items carried included a computer game (38.7 percent) followed by a cleaning product (28.9 percent) and a lucky charm (26.1 percent).

Not surprisingly, overall, the most common item taken on business trips was a good book (49 percent) and some of the weirdest individual items people claim they take away with them included toilet bowl lids, salted fish and Tibetan daggers.

"The weird and wonderful things people were found to take on business trips, from fitness equipment to favorite foods and objects, often reveal how personal and professional lives struggle to co-exist in today's high pressured work environment," Hans Leijten, Regus's regional vice president for East Asia, said in a statement.

"Evidently, the line between business and pleasure is blurring with more people feeling they need to take a bit of home away with them. This may well be because people are working more and more in flexible workspaces, so they like to have something with them that adds the personal touch wherever they are."

Regus's survey interviewed more than 17,000 business people representing more than 80 countries.

MS