A new study by hotel booking website laterooms.com has found that  sixty percent of business travellers suffer from homesickness while on the road.

In the survey, which involved polling 2,000 business travellers, 47 percent said they worked less effectively away from home, and that 38 percent think of home every hour.

8 percent also blamed their homesickness for a drop in productivity while travelling, but 57 percent admitted that their homesickness pushed them to stay busy in the evenings by making the most of their free time.

Other survey findings includes:
– 25 percent are more likely to dine out with friends and colleagues
– 17 percent indulge in cultural experiences like visiting local galleries or going to the theatre
– 10 percent try to make the most of their trip by trying new experiences
– 23 percent prefer to stay in their hotel rooms after hours
– 75 percent of over 55-year-olds believe that travelling is beneficial for their relationships because it gives them time away from their partner
– 47 percent of those in the 18-24 age group said travelling for work caused problems in their relationships
– 78 percent combat homesickness by staying in touch with loved ones at least once each day
– 9 percent never contact friends and family while on the road

“We were surprised by the extent to which people feel their work trips affect their productivity and relationships, but it was quite refreshing to see the number of people that are making the most of their time away from home by doing something out of the ordinary – compared to 65 percent of people that spent a typical evening at home in front of the TV,” said laterooms.com spokesperson Andrea Tarpey. “Luckily, modern technology means it’s much easier to keep in touch with our loved ones – six out of 10 people we surveyed said that contact home improved both their mood and work performance.”