Holafly survey puts secure internet ahead of speed

Connectivity problems cause stress for 86.5% of people on business travel, while secure internet access now ranks above speed and coverage overseas.

Holafly for Business published the findings in Dublin on 9 July 2026 in its Summer Travel & eSIM Report 2026.

Business travellers now account for almost one in five international travellers.

More than four in 10 business travellers pick secure internet access as their top priority when they go online abroad.

That change reflects the need to reach enterprise systems, cloud platforms and sensitive corporate data during international trips.

Holafly found that airports now serve as workspaces and hotel lobbies often double as meeting rooms for travelling staff.

Meanwhile, more than half of business travellers are now under 35, showing a sharp shift in the makeup of the market.

The share of travellers aged over 45 fell by 7.4 percentage points from the previous year.

Corporate eSIM productivity figures

Younger professionals prefer digital-first options such as eSIMs, while older travellers still rely more on traditional roaming services.

Among travellers whose companies provide a corporate eSIM, 81.3% report a positive effect on productivity.

By comparison, 61.2% of travellers using corporate roaming report a productivity benefit.

The figure drops to 52.4% for employees who arrange their own connectivity.

Alex Bryzowski, vice president of Holafly for Business, said: “Business travel used to be about getting from one place to another. Today, it is about carrying your entire working environment with you.”

He said professionals now have to respond and make decisions wherever they are in the world.

Since international travel is more tightly woven into day-to-day operations, Holafly said many organisations may need to review how they support staff on the road.

The report adds that secure access from the moment a traveller arrives may influence productivity more than many employers recognise.