Gabe Rizzi, ALTOUR President

Bleisure boom gets strategic
Bleisure isn’t a novelty anymore, it’s a negotiation point. Employees are extending trips to explore new destinations or spend time with family, and companies are starting to see this as a retention and wellbeing lever, not a policy exception. Travel managers shouldexpect more requests to blend business and leisure, especially on long-haul or high-intensity projects. Travel programs will need clear parameters around expense sharing, traveller safety, and insurance coverage. The opportunity lies in shaping partnerships with suppliers that recognise this dual purpose – crafting experiences that support both productivity and personal balance.

Shauna Burns, MD Beyond Business Travel

Carbon budgeting becomes standard
Instead of just tracking spend, travel managers will be expected to manage a “carbon budget” per department or traveller, with emissions tracked and reported alongside financial metrics. Buyers will need to work with suppliers offering transparent emissions data and invest in tools that help optimise routes and modes of transport. This could limit travel options but will elevate the strategic role of travel management. At the same time, ongoing and new economic and geo-political factors will continue to affect or conflict with corporate customers ESG strategies and aspirations. Procurement teams prioritise lowest-cost options, and sustainability criteria get deprioritised when they conflict with financial targets.

Caroline Strachan, CEO, Festive Road

Ambitious buyers regain their power
The impact of acquisitions and alliances, both positive and negative, will be fully realised in 2026. I predict ambitious buyers will build strategies that move away from traditional programmes and instead architect transformational models. Transformation starts at the core. Every travel programme must support the shop-book-pay process; meaning process flow must access supplier inventory, preference supplier inventory and present trip options to the travelling customer. We call this flow the ‘Sausage Machine’ – get the ingredients, mix the ingredients, out pops the sausage!  There are different ways to achieve all three booking process stages: The ‘Closed Shop’, with the TMC in control, ‘Open shop’, with the TMC partnering with the buyer on each stage, or ‘Department Store’ with the buyer designing programme architecture, utilising best-in-breed for each component. Good choices equal benefits including improved cost, customer experience and delivery speed, hence the buyer regains power.

Daniel Price, CEO, Jyrney

Autonomy arrives
With Waymo preparing to enter the London market, 2026 will be the year autonomy finally enters the managed travel conversation, if not yet every travel programme. Several years ago travel managers resisted ride-hail, but travellers used it anyway and expensed the rides. It’s hard to believe the first self-driving business trip hasn’t already happened, even if it’s not yet officially recognised.  Forward thinking travel managers will act early – not to chase the trend, but to avoid travellers using autonomous cars outside of policy. Having a clear framework is a more practical approach than ignoring the new tech until it’s unavoidable. These vehicles are already involved in 80% fewer injury causing accidents than human-driven cars, but duty of care and insurance questions remain. Those who prepare now will define how autonomy fits safely and sensibly into travel, before it’s appearing on expense sheets.

Paul Tilstone, Founder, temoji

Buyer-led agentic insights emerge
The trend for control of the technology stack across enterprise buyers will continue. Taking control isn’t for everyone and it very much depends on company culture, appetite for ownership and budgets etc, but there is definitely a sense that those with larger programmes aren’t just outsourcing their programme needs, they’re actively taking control of some parts of the value-chain. Some, though, have decided AI gives them the chance to go one step further.They haven’t just taken control of the technology backbone for servicing their travel programme, they’re also testing the use of their own agentic AI as the user-interface to serve travellers.In 2026, we’ll see the details of these beta-tests and the insights as the lessons learned appear. We’ll begin to explore what this means for the TMCs and OBTs that act as the user interface today.

Oded Zilinsky, Oversee CPO

Data drives decisions
What we’re seeing at Oversee is that rising travel costs and a tightening of supplier discounts are making it harder for travel managers to deliver the same value from their corporate travel programs. For many travel managers, this shift poses a real challenge – delivering savings and maintaining traveller satisfaction is becoming more complex. But it’s also driving a positive transformation. Those who learn to harness their travel data more effectively can unlock powerful new levers for optimisation. By reshopping flights and hotels, identifying missed savings, and uncovering trends in traveller behaviour, travel managers can make smarter, more cost-effective decisions. This data-driven approach not only improves savings but also helps increase hotel attach rates, for example, strengthen policy compliance, or enhance overall program performance. So, 2026 will be the year of harnessing data and optimization in response to market conditions.

Julie Shorrock, Managing Director, Hotel and Travel Solutions Ltd

Back to the office
We’ve lost a lot of expertise and experience from our industry, so agencies – and many of the industry’s clients – will appreciate the benefits of in-person office environments and collaboration in bringing newcomers up to speed. Just like our own sector, I think we’ll see a continued drive towards less home working (still supported by hybrid arrangements where needed). As a result, we’ll see an increase in demand for training and development events with travel, accommodation, and training space bookings. This trend will particularly benefit the younger generations – our future business leaders.

Clive Wratten, CEO, Business Travel Association

Bleisure gets a rebrand
The word ‘Bleisure’ is finally out. HR and travel teams now see extended trips not as sneaky holidays but as tools for wellbeing, productivity, and retention. Enter ‘Work Plus’ the rebrand that turns extra travel days into a strategic benefit. For travel managers, this means extending duty of care, tackling insurance gaps, tracking non-working travellers, and justifying higher costs. The upside? You’re no longer just booking flights, you’re driving talent retention.

Martin Tuncaydin, EVP, Data, AI, and Engineering, Direct Travel

Staying one step ahead
Business travel will see the rise of personalised virtual travel AI agents embedded across the entire traveller journey, with agentic voice AI becoming nearly indistinguishable from humans in handling routine service interactions and managing most inbound call volume. At the same time, data analysis and program management will evolve toward insight-driven models driven by conversational analytics toward proactive predictions of traveller behaviour. Travel managers will move from reactive service models to predictive, experience-led programs—where AI not only handles logistics but also anticipates needs, mitigates disruptions, and personalises engagement at scale.

Michael Healy, CTM CEO, Europe

Consolidation impacts service
In 2026, corporate travel will continue to be reshaped by strategic consolidation, technological synergy and evolving traveller expectations. Continued M&A activity among travel management companies (TMCs) signals a drive for scale, efficiency and integrated service offerings. Buyers should expect broader capabilities while being prepared to navigate potential service standardisation and a ‘one-size fits all’ model from some TMCs. TMCs with the financial strength to invest in proprietary technology combined with outstanding customer service will be significant players in a rapidly changing market. This “AI x people” approach ensures resilience and satisfaction across diverse traveller needs.  

Sophie Taylor, Chief Technology Officer, Gray Dawes Group

Data security takes centre stage
I believe the next defining trend in corporate travel will be the industry’s sharpened focus on data integrity. As the volume of digital interactions grows and data breaches reach unprecedented levels, businesses can no longer afford to treat information security as a back-office concern. It must become a strategic priority embedded across the entire travel ecosystem. For travel programmes to remain resilient, organisations must look beyond their internal systems and examine the robustness of their supply chain partners. True data integrity is only as strong as the weakest link. This means holding suppliers to high standards on incident management, cyber-readiness and business continuity planning.By fostering transparent collaboration and aligning on shared security expectations, the industry can protect travellers, safeguard sensitive information, and maintain operational stability.

James Dow, UK and Ireland General Manager, Blacklane 

Policies must keep up
Rapid advances in AI are reshaping business travel management, delivering efficiency and new compliance challenges. AI‑powered tools enhance accuracy and automation, yet policies must evolve to match. Travel managers now face risks such as AI‑generated fake receipts, making strict in‑policy booking essential. Grappling areas of unmanaged spend is crucial for travel managers in 2026. Where ground transport isn’t covered within travel policies or supplier agreements, there are significant gaps in cost control, sustainability reporting, and duty of care. Clear ground transport policies strengthen compliance, optimise budgets and support strategic long term buying decisions. They also bolster approaches to traveller wellbeing. 

Christal Bemont, CEO Direct Travel

True connection
After years of transformation, 2026 will mark the moment when the heart and science of travel finally meet. The industry’s future won’t be defined by recovery or consolidation—it will be defined by connection. Technology is no longer just powering transactions; it’s enabling relationships. Data, AI, and open platforms will allow travel to feel profoundly personal again—anticipating needs, removing friction, and creating space for what matters most: the purpose behind every trip. Companies that succeed will be those that blend intelligence with empathy, using technology not to replace human care, but to amplify it. I believe the next leap isn’t about speed or scale alone. It’s about meaning, and empowering travel managers to design journeys that are intuitive, contextual, and deeply human. This means a shift toward smarter, more data-driven decision-making and an expanded role in shaping company strategy, balancing cost, sustainability, and traveler well-being like never before

John Stephenson, Managing Director, YTC

Affordable personalisation
In 2026, SME clients will expect enterprise level personalisation without fees. The tech finally makes that possible. With AI-driven search and cleaner data, smaller programmes can deliver personalised choices that stay inside a company’s travel policies – happier travellers and CFOs alike. Travel managers and buyers can expect their TMC to act like a consultant, not an order-taker (which is feedback we hear from users of larger TMCs!), designing travel plans that save time and money without compromising traveller care.

Scott Davies, ITM CEO

Cutting through the noise
As the buyer’s time is increasingly challenged, suppliers must be more strategic to cut through the noise. In 2026, consolidation and partnerships within the travel industry will continue to evolve. Suppliers will need to become more joined up within the ecosystem to remain competitive and relevant. Mergers such as SAP Concur and Amex GBT are a recent example of this trend, requiring suppliers to operate cohesively within the broader ecosystem. This holistic approach also translates to product enhancements. Where new products and innovations are rolled out, they must integrate seamlessly across the ecosystem. For example, NDC must work across a number of touch points within the traveller journey. Meanwhile, several new entrants are expected to move from the investment and development phase into active product rollout next year. With innovation accelerating, buyers are likely to rely on TMCs to screen new offerings and integrate cutting-edge providers into their travel programmes, driving greater flexibility and competitive advantage.

Andrea Caulfield-Smith, Managing Director Global Business Travel, Advantage Travel Partnership

Payment efficiencies emerge
Payment innovation will take centre stage, transforming how programmes operate and deliver value. As new payment solutions gain real traction, we’ll see major efficiencies unlocked across the entire ecosystem, from improved reconciliation and data transparency to faster, smarter transactions. The benefits will ripple outward: TMCs will experience stronger working capital positions, customers will enjoy greater flexibility and control, and travellers themselves will benefit from seamless, secure payment experiences on the move. For buyers, this evolution brings even greater value with improved experiences for travellers, richer and more actionable data, and the ability to replace outdated, manual payment flows, such as billbacks, that often delay a true picture of total programme costs. This momentum in payment technology isn’t just about convenience; it’s about strategic advantage. 2026 will be the year when payment stops being a back-office function and becomes a key enabler of growth, efficiency and traveller satisfaction, reshaping the business travel value chain for everyone involved.

Lee Gunn, Chief Operating Officer, Access Bookings

Strong demand for long-stay
We’re seeing a clear rise in early bookings, with the first half of 2026 already showing strong demand. Sports-related travel is also increasing, particularly around major events like the Winter Olympics, in February, and the World Cup in June/July. These often span multiple cities, making supplier engagement and coverage complex. There’s also growing demand for long-stay options such as serviced apartments and rentals, driven by productions seeking greater flexibility. This shift challenges traditional hotel programmes and supply chains, while at the same time, last-minute changes continue to affect productions, so travel contracts must allow for flexibility. 

Nick Bettles, UK CEO, Talma Travel Solutions

The rise of selective segmentation
After several years of stability, many multinational organisations are now re-evaluating their long-standing TMC relationships. Rather than undertaking full programme changes, an increasing number are segmenting parts of their travel programme to trial innovative providers, new technologies and emerging TMCs. This cautious approach means they don’t have to change everything to drive change. By testing segments of their programme, travel buyers can explore new service models, sustainability tools or booking technology without full disruption. It’s a smarter, lower-risk way for them to innovate. 

Paul Baker, Sales Director, Global Travel Management

Administrative burdens impact decisions
More customers are switching away from airlines due to reasons beyond fare prices. For example, where an airline requires all ticket refunds to be completed before the date of travel, this is an inconvenient additional administrative burden for customers. In an increasing number of cases, the customer prefers to switch to an airline that will not apply this responsibility. More customers are taking into account the administrative burden placed on them by new and unwelcome airline policy and rule changes.  They’re reacting by switching airline – often at the expense of increased fare prices.

Pippa Ganderton, Director ATPI Halo

Gen Z bring new demands
Gen Z is reshaping expectations for corporate travel, bringing a new set of demands that will challenge travel managers and suppliers alike. Flexibility, especially from hotels, will be essential to create more adaptable pricing that accommodates blended corporate and personal travel. As a generation, they are far more conscious of sustainability and the impact of their choices. Many prefer to take the train, particularly for European trips. Therefore, travel policies will need to adapt to reflect this shift. Gen Z also expect employers to demonstrate a genuine sustainability strategy rather than make empty claims about their commitment to the planet. For them, travel is all about the experience. They want to make the most of each destination, which will also increase the importance of ground transportation options. There’s a growing appetite for ‘bleisure’ travel, so travel managers will need to adapt policies to accommodate this.

Sarosh Waghmar, Founder and Chief Product Officer, Spotnana

Tech drives TMC selection
I expect travel buyers to choose TMCs based on the quality of their software, prioritising speed, comprehensive content, and control, with human service reserved for exceptions. Travellers want consumer-grade mobile and web experiences with voice and natural-language actions for search, changes, waivers, and credits. This means that travel managers must rewrite RFPs to focus on platform depth: open APIs, real-time admin controls, data ownership, and coverage across NDC, LCC, rail, and lodging. They should target self-service adoption above 85% and refactor service level agreements (SLAs) for instant digital responses with clear escalation to experts, allocating more budget to change management and less to traditional call centres. The return is a lower total cost per trip, faster resolution, and happier travellers.

Katie Skitterall, Group Commercial Director Direct ATPI

Move to trip fees
We’re seeing a clear shift in the business travel landscape, particularly in how services are priced. The traditional transaction fee model is being replaced by a more modern, transparent trip fee structure. This means one fixed fee per trip – covering all amendments, cancellations, ancillary bookings, and out of hours fees – rather than multiple unpredictable charges, which can really add up. For travel managers, this change simplifies budgeting and expensing, eliminates hidden costs, and enhances overall programme efficiency. With an average of four transactions per trip, the move to a single trip fee – typically around 2% of the total trip cost compared to 3-7% with transaction fees – can deliver significant savings across a travel programme. It’s a smarter, more predictable way to manage travel spend.”

James Parkhouse, CEO, Take2Eton Group

OBTs catch up?
A lot of buyers, bookers and travellers still have many issues and challenges with their Online Booking Tools (OBTs), not just in terms of UI and UX, but functionality and content. They need OBTs in business travel to innovate faster (the AmexGBT/SAP Concur alliance has only served to underline that need). Could 2026 be the year when we finally see the UI and UX of business travel booking tools, particularly with advances in AI, catch up with their consumer-grade counterparts? There are many more services that a user wants from their OBT, such as disruption management, which current tools do not provide, but which are part of managed travel services. The ability to deliver these services in a seamless way will be a key battleground for OBTs in 2026, but will lead to a better UX for corporates, which can only be a good thing.

David Chappell, CPO, TripStax

Megas get challenged
The traditional mega TMC stronghold of large-scale global customers will be challenged more than ever by global multi-agency networks on a scale not seen before. As new underpinning technologies collaborate to create true local-market servicing, globalised data sets and real-time control mechanisms will solve many of the multi-agent servicing model difficulties. Combined with centralised documentation and branding definition, these networks will feel more cohesive than ever before. For travel managers, these networks will give them more options than ever. To be able to truly leverage best in market agencies to provide global consolidated services has long been one of the holy grails of travel management. Benefits including consolidated reporting, best in market fares, local language assistance and local knowledge, will be closer to their fingertips, whilst the agents will have the ability to control vital process such as QC (quality control) across the globe, centrally. This, when coupled with uniformed processes such as branding, creates a seamless customer experience, rivelling the industry’s biggest players.

Ross Knipe, Business Development Manager, SilverDoor 

Policies move with the times
Policies have been gradually modernising to reflect the needs of today’s business traveller and the options available in the modern temporary accommodation market, but we expect to see more hyper-personalised and specific policy updates in 2026. For example, employees are increasingly expecting their business travel experience to mirror the convenience and comfort of leisure travel, so travel managers will need to consider building policies which evolve beyond cost control and safety compliance to also consider traveller satisfaction, rest, and productivity. For travel managers, on a practical level this could mean formalising guidelines around in-unit workspace standards, proximity to offices, or access to wellness amenities. Other ways to make policies more specific and inclusive will be the wider development of guidelines for solo or neurodivergent travellers, and location-specific safety and security standards to support traveller expectations and preferences.

Sofia Oragano, Senior Director – International Sales, Synergy Global Housing 

AI helps drive decisions and personalisation
AI-powered predictive analytics will continue to drive a shift in the role and remit of corporate travel managers to better qualify and inform data-driven decisions around dynamic pricing and cost intelligence as well as supporting more personalised itineraries and traveller satisfaction. The continued monitoring of rates will empower travel managers to continually identify optimum booking windows and improve cost efficiencies. Likewise, the growth in traveller data will continue to better enable AI and travel managers to personalise itineraries at scale. The impact of more data-powered, personalised programmes we expect will deliver increased traveller satisfaction and likewise better compliance and reduced leakage. However, with more knowledge comes more responsibility. Travel managers and the supply chain will need to work more closely in the year ahead and beyond as data sets grow to ensure they maintain a clear and present understanding of how that data will be applied and more importantly, managed and protected.

Adam Kerr, CEO and Founder Tripism

Shift to cultural architects
The travel manager’s role will evolve from operational to strategic business leader focused on connection. Travel managers will become culture architects, defining how and why employees travel to build a future-proof company culture. The surge in AI gives travel managers the opportunity to automate the admin-heavy side of the role approvals, policy checks, and supplier monitoring, freeing up time to focus on strategy, experience, and culture. Travel programmes require an overhaul; future travel policies must be designed to encourage connection, creativity, and belonging across increasingly hybrid workforces and next-gen employees. Travel managers of tomorrow will focus on the human side of business travel, building business travel eco-systems that align with their company values, traveller profiles and team objectives. Travel policies will be reimagined as part of the employee value proposition: flexible, personalised and experiential. The business travel role is a strategic lever for culture, talent and brand. Companies that recognise this shift will strengthen their culture, impacting employee acquisition, retention, engagement, and revenue.

Jason Long, Senior Vice President, Global Business Development, HRS

A rise in RFPs
Ongoing consolidation in the corporate travel technology arena means many entities in the ecosystem will react by re-evaluating existing relationships and exploring new ones. As has always been the case in managed travel, change is inevitable. That said, even amid present-day challenges like increasing costs and uncertain forecasts, all parties in our sandbox want options. Huge advances in technology driven by AI are accelerating the pace at which corporates are evaluating these options. There is a reluctance we hear from corporate clients on multiple continents; they are wary of dictates and service models that don’t accommodate the realities of the evolution of their own programs and technology needs. Some have already gone out to bid to get a jump on the full scope of their options. We anticipate this trend will continue in 2026, as corporates and TMCs alike take stock of their own requirements, the options available to them via AI-infused technologies, and the new experiences and processes that AI-fuelled tech can spur.

Jack Dow, Founder & CEO, Grapevine Travel

ChatGPT forces a rethink
As interactions with public large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Claude increase for booking and trip support, the risk of data and booking leakage from corporate systems will become a major concern.For travel managers, the question will shift from ‘how do we use AI?’ to ‘how do we use it safely and ensure we offer the same functionality travellers expect elsewhere?’. The winners will partner with suppliers that provide secure, enterprise-grade ‘walled gardens’, delivering the same conversational and analytical power as public LLMs, but with full control, auditability, and compliance. AI adoption will no longer be an innovation choice, it will be a data-governance necessity.

Keith Watson, President Roomex

Response to wellbeing needs
Throughout 2025, it has become increasingly clear how deeply the travel experience affects the wellbeing of the people who spend the most time on the move. In 2026, this is likely to become an even more prominent focus for employers. Mobile and field-based workers continue to face long days, frequent travel, unpredictable schedules and extended time away from home. We’ve seen this year how these pressures can build, and how easily they can influence morale, performance and the likelihood of someone staying in their role. Next year, businesses are expected to respond with more practical improvements. These may include reducing out-of-pocket costs, providing clearer and more consistent information, ensuring accommodation is suitable for the work being done and allowing more realistic rest periods between trips. It’s not about offering luxury, it’s about fairness, predictability and support. A smoother and more dependable travel experience ultimately leads to better wellbeing, stronger engagement and higher retention.