# The Future of Business Travel: Industry Report

**Publisher:** Expedia Group  
**Published:** n/a  
**Category:** Travel tech  
**Type:** Survey  
**Access:** Registration  
**Official source:** https://partner.expediagroup.com/en-us/resources/research-insights/future-of-business-travel  
**Canonical:** https://tourismintel.ai/reports/industry-report-the-future-of-business-travel

## At a glance
- 95% of TMC leaders are optimistic about business travel prospects over three years, yet fewer than half feel very confident delivering on traveler expectations.
- Traveler expectations have reset across booking simplicity, personalization, and blended business-leisure booking, with 76–85% reporting increased demands.
- Only 36–41% of TMC leaders feel very confident meeting core needs including personalization, 24/7 support, and streamlined booking.
- 100% of organisations have adopted AI, but only 44% report very positive impact, revealing a gap between adoption and scalable delivery.
- Growth opportunities centre on end-to-end booking-to-expense consolidation, AI automation, and alternative lodging; 83% view dynamic pricing as important.

## What the report covers
Expedia Group surveyed 214 senior decision-makers at travel management companies across 10 global markets to assess industry confidence and capability in business travel. The research identifies a critical gap between market optimism and TMCs' ability to meet reshaped customer demands following post-pandemic shifts in traveler behaviour and expectations.

## Key findings
The research reveals an 'optimism paradox' at the centre of business travel. Almost all respondents (95%) express optimism about the industry's three-year outlook, with 51% very optimistic. However, this market-level confidence masks significant uncertainty about internal capability. When asked about their own systems and readiness to deliver emerging traveler expectations, far fewer leaders express confidence, creating a strategic disconnect.

Business traveler expectations have fundamentally reset rather than simply risen. Between 76% and 85% of TMC leaders report increased expectations across booking simplicity, personalization, mobile management, loyalty rewards, and the ability to book business and leisure using the same tool. Expectations for duty of care, sustainable travel, and concierge-like service have also grown significantly, with leaders viewing many of these priorities as likely to remain central over the next three years.

A pronounced confidence gap exists between understanding traveler needs and believing the organisation can deliver them. Across traveler-facing capabilities, only 36–41% of senior leaders feel very confident in delivery. This includes personalization (38%), 24/7 support and duty of care (36%), easy streamlined booking (38%), and concierge-like service (39%). Only 33% feel very confident tracking travel spend, and 43% feel confident enforcing travel policies.

Technology adoption has outpaced impact realisation. According to the report, 100% of surveyed organisations have integrated AI, yet only 44% say it has had a very positive impact so far. This gap between experimentation and scalable value delivery reveals an opportunity for vendors. Data-driven personalization, emerging technology integration, and enhanced self-service tools are recognised as powerful levers to close the expectation–execution gap.

## Key numbers
| Metric | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| TMC leaders optimistic about business travel industry prospects (next 3 years) | 95% | Survey of 214 senior decision-makers; 51% very optimistic |
| TMC leaders very confident in delivering personalization | 38% | Observed survey response |
| TMC leaders very confident in 24/7 traveler support and duty of care | 36% | Observed survey response |
| Respondents reporting increased expectations for booking simplicity | 84% | Combined significantly and somewhat increased responses |
| Organisations with AI integration | 100% | Observed survey response |
| Organisations reporting very positive AI impact so far | 44% | Observed survey response |
| Respondents viewing dynamic pricing as important for future growth | 83% | Combined very and somewhat important responses |
| TMC leaders citing loss of clients or market share as key concern | 32% | Observed survey response; next three years |

## Why it matters
**DMOs & destinations** — Business travelers now expect personalized, mobile-first experiences with loyalty recognition and flexible cancellation. DMOs should recognise that partnerships with TMCs investing in integrated technology and duty-of-care capabilities will yield better visitation outcomes than legacy-constrained partners.

**Hotels & hospitality** — Business travelers expect business-leisure blending, negotiated rates, and loyalty recognition while traveling for work—expectations 76–85% of TMCs report have intensified. Hotels must position flexible policies, room upgrades, and concierge service as competitive advantages. Alternative lodging is identified as a significant growth opportunity.

**Travel tech & distribution** — While AI adoption is universal (100%), only 44% see very positive impact, revealing opportunity for vendors offering scalable, integrated solutions. The confidence gap (36–41% across core capabilities) signals demand for platforms enabling personalization, mobile-first booking, and seamless integration. End-to-end booking-to-expense consolidation is a key growth priority.

## Methodology and limits
Expedia Group partnered with Censuswide to conduct an online survey of 214 senior decision-makers at travel management companies across 10 global markets between 26 November and 4 December 2025. Sample distribution included Italy (12%), US (11%), UK (10%), Netherlands (10%), Spain (10%), Australia (9%), China (9%), India (9%), Japan (9%), and Belgium (9%). Censuswide abides by Market Research Society standards and ESOMAR principles. This brief is based on the publicly available summary and attached PDF.

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© Expedia Group for the original report. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel (https://tourismintel.ai). Read the original: https://partner.expediagroup.com/en-us/resources/research-insights/future-of-business-travel