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BOOK REVIEW

International Business Travel in

the Global EconomyEdited by Jonathan Beaverstock, Ben Derudder, James Faulconbridge, Frank Witlox (eds)

Business travel receives relatively little attention both in scientific literature and in the me-

dia, and when it does get attention, it is mostly negative. Often, it is seen as a costly toy for

the rich and famous. This book gives travel for business purposes the attention it deserves,

and it paints a balanced, multifaceted picture of it.

Written by a number of experts in the field of transport, ge-

ography, urban development, business, sociology and related

fields, this book offers a truly multidisciplinary look into busi-

ness travel. Subjects covered include the development of busi-

ness travel in the past decades in terms of numbers of travelers,

routes and modes of travel (business jets, scheduled flights with

airlines in Business Class), reasons for business traveling, types

of business travelers, the role of traveling and mobility for or-ganizations, the effects of business travel on both the organiza-

tions that sent their employees on their way and on the travelers

themselves, and more philosophical issues, like the effects of

business aviation on the democratization of air travel. The per-

spectives have a primarily socio-geographical and managerial

nature. Technical areas, like aircraft operation, business models

for operators and the suitability of the various types of airliners

and business jets for business travel, are not covered. Very Light

Jets are mentioned only briefly, whereas helicopters not at all.

This is not a drawback however, as the book is comprehensive

enough as it is.

The statistical data that the book provides, as well as their sourc-

es, are valuable for researchers in the field of business travel,

but the main value of the book are the fascinating new insights

that can easily change ones general view on the public function

and nature of business travel. No longer is this form of transport

reserved for the happy few: maintenance engineers, consultants,

salespeople, and knowledge workers in general form the bulk

of business travelers in a globalized, knowledge-intensive and

efficiency-focused economy. To many of them, business travel

does not mean flying in a Gulfstream or Falcon jet, but in the

same airliner as vacationers, where the comforts of business

class enable them to arrive at their destination relatively rested

and ready for work. The negative effects of business travel on

personal relationships can be considerable and deservedly re-

ceive attention in the book. The notion that electronic technolo-

gies, such as video conferencing, will, in the foreseeable future,

make business travel obsolete is dispelled. If anything, the two

reinforce each other; preparation using videoconferencing can

make a business trip more effective.

A Book Review by Hans Heerkens

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theoretical framework, but a way to visually give each chapter

its place in the total context of the book. It would have made it

easier for the reader to link similar or identical subjects covered

in more than one chapter to each other, like motives for business

travel. But to the more knowledgeable reader in particular, this

is not a big issue.

All in all

This book is valuable for those who want an introduction into

a broad range of aspects of business travel, but it also acts as astarting point for students of a particular area of this type of avia-

tion, with ample references for further study. Basic knowledge

of aviation, economy and business is helpful as this is not a text-

book, and the book seems to be more directed at scholars than at

professionals. One would almost wish that the valuable material

in this book would be packaged in a special edition, specifi-

cally aimed at company managers and travel policymakers.

About the editors

Jonathan Beaverstock is Professor of Economic Geography at the

University of Nottingham, UK. Ben Derudder is Lecturer of Hu-

man Geography and Associate Director of the Globalization and

World Cities research network. James Faulconbridge is Lecturer

of Economic Geography at the Lancaster University, UK. Frank

Witlox is Professor of Economic Geography at Ghent University.

About the reviewer

Hans Heerkens is Assistant Processor at Twente University (Neth-

erlands) on the subjects of aerospace industry and decision theory.

Bibliographical details

Authors: Jonathan V. Beaverstock, Ben Derudder, James Faulcon-

bridge & Frank Witlox (Ed.).

Title: International business travel in the global economy

Publisher: Ashgate Publishing

Publication date: February 2010

(2010). ISBN: 978-0-7546-7942-4.

Something I feel would have added to the value of the book is

an overall model or scheme to put the various contributions into

one overarching perspective: not necessarily a sophisticated

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