The corporate travel landscape has undergone significant transformations in recent years, influenced by technological advancements, shifting employee expectations, and global economic factors. As we reflect on 2024, several key trends are reshaping business travel in 2025 and beyond.
Trends in Corporate Travel from 2024
- AI Integration in Travel Management
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become integral to corporate travel, enhancing efficiency and personalization. AI-powered personal assistants are revolutionizing self-booked trips by providing real-time, tailored recommendations that align with company policies. These tools streamline the booking process and improve compliance with corporate travel guidelines.
- Objective Stacking
Companies are increasingly adopting "Objective Stacking," a strategy where business trips are designed to achieve multiple goals. This approach maximizes the value of each trip, addressing sustainability concerns and cost management by reducing the frequency of travel while enhancing its effectiveness.
- Blended Travel Itineraries
The lines between business and leisure travel continue to blur, with more employees extending work trips for personal enjoyment. This trend, often called "bleisure," reflects a shift towards greater work-life balance and flexibility, with travelers seeking to make the most of their time away from the office. According to Hotel Tech Report, a significant 89% of business travelers express a desire to extend their next business trip to include leisure time.
- Sustainability and Responsible Travel
Environmental concerns are increasingly influencing corporate travel policies. Companies are prioritizing sustainable travel options, such as choosing eco-friendly accommodations and minimizing carbon footprints, to align with broader corporate social responsibility goals.
- Enhanced Focus on Employee Well-being
Employee well-being has become a central focus in corporate travel planning. Organizations recognize the importance of traveler comfort and safety, leading to more considerate travel policies that account for travel stress and work-life balance.
Predictions for Corporate Travel in 2025
- Rise of Executive Field Trips
Strategic off-site retreats, known as Executive Field Trips, are expected to gain popularity. These trips focus on team building and strategic planning in immersive environments, often incorporating nature-based activities to foster creativity and collaboration.
- Personalized Travel Experiences through Advanced Data Analytics
Leveraging big data and AI, companies will offer highly personalized travel experiences to employees. This personalization will consider individual preferences, past behaviors, and predictive analytics to enhance traveler satisfaction and productivity.
- Increased pressure on travel program performance
Travel buyers will have more pressure to enhance the cost efficiency of employee business trips. Efficiency will be measured in multiple ways including cost, CO2, time, as well as overall benefit to business growth. To deliver on these upcoming needs, travel managers will need suitable travel program analysis tools with a comprehensive view of all travel bookings and rich data.
- Enhanced oversight over Multi-Channel and Off-Channel Bookings
With the rise of maverick bookings—travel booked outside approved corporate channels—companies must achieve a comprehensive view of all travel activity. Traxo’s data capture and analysis tools enable organizations to monitor all travel spending, enhancing duty of care, policy compliance, and cost savings by consolidating multi-TMC and non-TMC bookings into one platform.
In 2024, international travel exceeded domestic in non-TMC bookings for 9 of 12 months, highlighting the complexity of managing international travel. Capturing this data is crucial for understanding travel patterns and enforcing compliance.
Among Traxo clients, 22% of 64,000 airline PNRs were booked through TMCs, while 79% came from non-TMC sources, with a notable rise in non-TMC bookings from March to June. Without full visibility, organizations risk gaps in duty of care and missed cost-saving opportunities.
Airline rankings further emphasize the need to monitor non-TMC activity. United Airlines led in Non-TMC bookings in 2024, followed by Delta and American Airlines (AA). Air Canada, Air France, British Airways (BA), and Lufthansa showed lower non-TMC volumes than the top three airlines.
The growth of Non-TMC bookings reflects a shift in traveler behavior. Travel managers must adopt tools like Traxo’s to gain real-time insights, maintain control over travel programs, and make informed decisions to support organizational goals.
The corporate travel sector is poised for continued evolution in 2025, driven by technological innovations, a focus on sustainability, and an emphasis on employee well-being. Organizations that adapt to these trends and leverage data-driven insights will be better positioned to navigate the complexities of the modern business travel landscape.
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