In this report, we cover the latest business travel trends that directly address strategic ways of working and measuring success. Of course the impact of Gen Z and AI on just about everything is included too.

Each trend features actionable points that you can incorporate now. We hope they inspire fresh thinking that helps lead to happier travellers, improved ROI, and a more effective business travel programme.

Travel is important for Gen Z and often plays into their decision-making when selecting a job. In fact, over half say that a role that lets them experience other cultures is attractive,_[2] and 70% look forward to travelling for work._[3]

Work-life balance and flexibility are also key. In regards to business trips, this generation wants to combine productivity with purpose and personal growth. _[4]

When it comes to organising business travel, making online and mobile bookings is second-nature to these true digital natives. They have a good level of comfort with using AI-powered travel services, _[5] and expect seamless bookings and personalised recommendations. Of course they also want easily accessible information about the business part of their trip and beyond.

While the impact of Gen Z is a trend all by itself, and one you can address, the group’s expectations create some of the other trends we cover in this report.

What Gen Z means for your business travel programme

• To meet work-life balance expectations, be transparent about travel frequency when you’re hiring.
• Let employees benefit from loyalty programmes and be sure they can access 24/7 support through a number of channels.
• Offer an intuitive, consumer-grade travel booking tool to increase programme compliance.

Many Gen Z workers are likely to extend business trips to enjoy leisure time too _[7] – a combination known as a ‘bleisure’ trip. So travel policies that facilitate better work/life balance, even when travellers are away from home, are important.

Your business travel platform can also offer controlled flexibility if it gives your team the autonomy to book and manage their own work trips. They get the choice they want while helping you oversee and control costs.

What structured flexibility means for your business travel programme

• Offer remote work opportunities and the flexibility to extend business trips.
• Create a clear bleisure policy so your travel arrangers and individual travellers understand what’s acceptable when booking and extending a trip.
• Use a business travel booking platform that offers a wide range of choice and lets you assign roles so travellers can arrange their own trips and you don’t have to be in control of everything.

In fact, more than half of the travellers we surveyed say work trips boost their mental (52%) and physical (46%) health,_[8] and 70% find them positive for productivity._[9] On the flipside however, travellers reported that things like disrupted sleep (60%) and changes in eating habits (48%) do take a toll on their wellbeing.

That’s why we’re seeing the trend of switched on business travellers looking for ways to unplug and seek calm and comfort amidst the work schedule. This balance can come from healthier food and fitness access, quiet rooms with home-like amenities, or leisure time before or after a work trip.

For business owners and travel arrangers, helping your travelling employees rest and recharge isn’t just good for morale, it’s good for ongoing loyalty, productivity and the bottom line.

What traveller wellbeing means for your travel programme

• Make rest part of the plan by encouraging travellers to choose flights and stays that allow proper rest, even if it means an extra night away.
• Prioritise wellbeing-friendly stays with quiet rooms, quality bedding, gyms and healthy dining. These small comforts can make a big difference.
• Let employees add personal days before or after trips to explore where they are. A morning walk through a new neighbourhood or a weekend extension to decompress can lead to fresh perspectives and renewed energy.
• After each trip, ask travellers how they feel physically and mentally, and use that insight to refine your policies.

When thinking about financial aspects, will the revenue generated by a face-to-face meeting be greater than the cost of the trip itself? Will things move quicker in person? If so, then budgeting for that time together is worth it.

Will face-to-face meetings improve client acquisition, retention and satisfaction? You can find out from feedback or with customer surveys.

In regards to your team, will seeing clients or attending conferences affect their job satisfaction? One of our surveys showed that 82% cited travel as essential to professional development, and 52% said it positively impacted their mental health._[10] If your team will gain similar benefits, the ROI can be more than just financial.

By setting clear criteria for business travel and weighing it up against virtual alternatives, you can lower costs while still meeting your goals.

What intentional travel means for your travel programme

• Define specific, measurable outcomes for each business trip and share these objectives with your travelling team.
• Reduce trip frequency by combining tasks into single journeys, such as holding a team workshop in the same city where you’re visiting a client.
• Share the intentional travel approach with your team to let them decide which travel adds value and give them authority to decline unnecessary trips.
• Track the business value generated from each trip through deals closed, contracts signed, customer feedback and employee retention.

Hyper-automation combines AI, machine learning and robotic process automation to handle complex processes with minimal human intervention. In relation to business travel, AI-driven tools will learn from your company’s booking, approval and reimbursement patterns.

Then these tools can do game-changing things to make business travel more efficient. Such as automatically re-booking a hotel if a cheaper rate becomes available. Or flagging out-of-policy spend instantly. And reducing the manual work involved in expense claiming because everything is captured and matched automatically.

How to get your business travel programme ready for hyper-automation

• Centralise data in one platform to create the foundation that hyper-automation systems can learn from.
• Create clear, consistent travel policies that can be easily translated into automated rules.
• Define what good travel programme performance looks like so you can measure the impact of automation investments.

For instance, the EU’s new Entry/Exit system will be fully operational by April 2026. _[11] Physical passport stamps will be phased out in favour of biometric checks, and passengers will scan their fingerprints and faces for more secure, faster border controls.

Singapore’s Changi Airport is on track to automate 95% of immigration processing by 2026._[12] And in the US, travellers can add their acceptable driver’s licence or ID to their phone wallet for faster, more secure scanning at 250+ airports. _[13]

With this digitisation, business travellers will hopefully benefit from less pre-trip paperwork, quicker security queues and smoother travel overall.

What biometric borders mean for your travel programme

• Update your travel policy to address biometric programme participation and requirements.
• Create training material to help your team understand biometric travel options, enrolment processes and privacy implications.
• Evaluate your business travel booking and expense management systems to make sure they can accommodate new travel document types and processes.
• Include biometric programme enrolment fees in your travel budget.

And it’s not just about getting the best price. Business travellers also want digital convenience and immediate perks, without complex points tracking systems. Waiting too long to collect points and convert them into tangible rewards will cause them to turn elsewhere.

Tailored offers also pay off, with 78% of consumers increasing repeat purchases when presented with personalised experiences._[15] With real-time data, AI and machine learning capabilities, loyalty programmes will be able to create even more customised rewards for their members.

It’s this practicality, immediacy and personalisation that will keep business travellers engaged with loyalty programmes, and with the platforms or companies that offer them.

How to make the most of loyalty programmes for your team and business travel programme

• Don’t lock your team in. Offer access to multiple loyalty programmes that actually meet their needs and benefit the company.
• Highlight programme benefits upfront and often to encourage travellers to take advantage of perks and rewards.
• Be sure that rewards can be accessed with minimal steps, ideally within your booking platform.