2025 business travel trends you should know
The corporate travel landscape is evolving, and business travel priorities are changing rapidly. In addition to tech-driven corporate travel programmes, there is an increased focus on dynamic content, sustainability, and much more. As we enter the new year, we are looking forward to how 2025 will be for business travel industry. We asked our leaders for top business travel trends for 2025 and here’s what they shared:
Bertrand Saillet
Managing Director, FCM Travel Asia
Strong demand for business travel will continue in 2025 with increased demand for AI to enhance customer experience and assisting people for optimising experience. Content distribution, and hotel and air content will become more competitive and appropriate for travel programme for customers. The spotlight will also be on sustainability/ESG solutions to decarbonise corporate travel programmes.
Sunny Sodhi
Managing Director, FCM Travel India
Balancing corporate travel budgets and uptick in business travel will be a focus. As the frequency of trips is expected to rise, companies will emphasise on deriving value from each trip, return on investment and purpose, with an eye on enhanced expense management capabilities. There’ll be concentrated approach for providing dynamic air and hotel content to enhance traveller experience.
Kenji Soh
General Manager- Southeast Asia, FCM Travel Asia
In addition to cost management, personalisation, traveller safety, and productivity through best-in-class technology will be paramount. The region will see a growing demand to leverage artificial intelligence for quicker solutions, self-booking, tailor-made strategies, traveller satisfaction and efficiency.
Calvin Xie
General Manager, FCM Greater China
Organisations will look at travel management companies for consolidating their corporate travel programmes. Also, as travel managers, bookers, arrangers will look at saving costs, they will expect stronger supplier relationships for negotiated rates. A strong need for strategic account management to understand data-driven insights and act on it will also take centre-stage.
Asami Chung
General Manager, FCM Japan
Companies may expect business travellers to combine all their meetings in one business trip. This will lead to extended trip duration and might change the purpose of the trips as well. In this view, travel managers will have to ensure content and technology is available to allow travellers to make decisions that align with company policy.