Future of business travel: strategies for companies
Business travel remains essential for networking, discovering new opportunities, and driving company growth. However, it hasn’t fully returned to pre-pandemic levels due to the economic slowdown.
In response, companies are reevaluating their travel strategies, focusing on reducing non-essential trips and prioritizing employee safety. Travel insurance has also become more important than ever — learn more here: https://midhudsonnews.com/2025/11/05/qatar-travel-insurance-protect-yourself-financially-for-a-worry-free-travel/.
Here are some key strategies businesses can adopt to ensure they’re ready for the future of business travel.
Prioritize traveler safety and health
Health and safety are top concerns for business travelers. To be productive, they need to feel secure and have peace of mind about their well-being.
To ensure traveler safety, you must implement an effective corporate travel risk management program and have a solid contingency plan. You can also take steps to improve traveler well-being, such as offering mental health programs, preventing over-scheduling, and giving them more control over their trips. This helps them be more productive and achieve better results for the company.
Assess the need for business trips
Research suggests that 25–30% of business trips have low value. Therefore, it’s important to identify a trip’s potential return on investment (ROI) before approving it.
Travelers can answer pre- and post-trip questions like, “What is the purpose of the trip?” “How does the expense compare to the potential ROI?” and “Did the trip generate leads?” By assessing the value of trips, you can eliminate low-value travel and invest more in those that justify their cost, enhancing the overall quality of business travel.
Create flexible travel policies
As business travelers’ needs evolve, they want more control over their experience. A flexible travel policy offers employees a dynamic budget and the freedom to choose from various options within certain guidelines.
Technology now enables dynamic travel policies that adjust based on available booking options. These policies consider factors like seasonality, removing the need for strict price limits. With such policies, bookings are not considered out-of-policy as long as they fall within parameters that account for price surges. This allows employees to select compliant travel options that meet their preferences. Flexible travel policies improve work-life balance and boost employee satisfaction, leading to better trip outcomes and increased ROI.
Allow bleisure trips
Bleisure (business + leisure) travel has grown in popularity. According to a GBTA survey, 90% of respondents were more or equally interested in taking bleisure trips compared to before the pandemic.
Bleisure trips can also lead to accommodation savings, as 82% of business travelers stay in the same hotel for both parts of their trip, often choosing a more cost-efficient option. Additionally, these trips help employees recharge. Research from Harvard indicates that employees value this flexibility and are more likely to stay with companies that offer it.
Leverage technology
The future of business travel involves using technology to streamline management. Key technologies include:
- SaaS-based systems: Use travel management software to automate approvals and create workflow hierarchies.
- Artificial intelligence (AI): Use AI to personalize business travel and help travel managers secure the best deals with price predictions. AI-powered chatbots can also provide 24/7 support.
- Big data analytics: Analytics helps companies improve their travel programs by providing insights into KPIs like out-of-policy and last-minute bookings. This helps identify cost leakage and better understand employee preferences.
Provide unconventional accommodation options
While hotels have been the traditional choice, unconventional stays like Airbnb and vacation rentals are becoming more popular. A survey of 6,000 corporate travelers found that 15% used apartments for business travel, and 23% of companies have formal agreements with homestay brands. This trend is driven by modern traveler preferences, cost, and a greater focus on well-being.
Offer self-booking tools
Self-booking tools give employees more control and save travel managers time. Leading corporate travel management software integrates employee preferences with company policy, allowing employees to book compliant travel that suits them. These tools also help ensure employees are aware of any applicable travel guidelines. Another benefit is the consolidated expense view on a single platform, which enhances spending visibility for both employees and the company.
Implement sustainable travel practices
Air travel contributes 2.5% of global CO2 emissions, with business travel accounting for about 20% of that figure. Companies must take responsibility for a greener future.
Sustainable business practices include:
- Tracking your carbon footprint.
- Creating a green travel policy.
- Choosing direct flights and trains when possible.
- Staying at hotels with sustainable practices.
- Purchasing carbon offsets to compensate for emissions.
