AI Interest High, But Adoption Remains Limited
A recent survey conducted by the Global Business Travel Association, in partnership with Spotnana, Marriott International, and Direct Travel, examined the impact of technology and innovation on corporate travel programs in North America and Europe. The findings indicate that while artificial intelligence (AI) is widely recognized as a potential driver of change, its adoption within managed travel programs remains in the early stages.
According to the survey, 58% of travel buyers report that AI has had little or no impact on their programs so far. However, there is significant interest in AI-driven tools, particularly those that could streamline operations and enhance decision-making. Key areas of interest include predictive analytics for travel spend forecasting (92%), automated disruption management and rebooking (89%), AI-powered traveler support (85%), and conversational booking experiences (83%).
Travel buyers generally express comfort with a range of AI use cases, such as recommending negotiated rate-based flights and hotels (95%) and generating custom reports (92%). However, fewer buyers are comfortable with AI accessing employee calendars (64%) or autonomously changing or canceling bookings (57%).
Data Fragmentation and Global Program Complexity
The survey highlights ongoing challenges related to managing global travel programs. A majority of buyers (61%) find managing travel across regions to be difficult, and only 12% have a consolidated view of their program data. This fragmentation limits visibility and makes it difficult to optimize performance.
The top challenges cited by global travel managers include a lack of consolidated reporting (63%), inconsistent traveler support (60%), and the need to manage multiple travel management company (TMC) relationships (52%). These issues contribute to inconsistent traveler experiences and hinder efforts to optimize travel programs.
When selecting TMC partners, buyers assign nearly equal importance to technology (54%) and service (46%), with a quarter of respondents (26%) indicating that service is the most important factor. This suggests that while technological innovation is valued, the human element of travel management remains critical.
Hotel Distribution and Booking Experience
Hotel distribution models are also evolving, with new retailing approaches changing how content is presented and how travelers make booking decisions. Despite the continued importance of global distribution systems (GDSs), buyers are increasingly seeking more flexible and transparent booking experiences.
A significant challenge is that 72% of buyers report travelers often find cheaper hotel options outside managed channels, reflecting ongoing issues with content, pricing, and perceived value within managed travel programs.
New retailing models are gaining interest, with 51% of buyers indicating that attribute-based shopping—such as selecting specific room features during booking—would improve the hotel booking experience. There is also a strong interest in purchasing add-ons such as breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, and parking directly through online booking tools or TMCs.
These developments point to a broader shift toward retail-style experiences in business travel, aiming to provide greater clarity into pricing and value, improve decision-making, and enhance traveler satisfaction.
Survey Methodology
The findings are based on an online survey of 269 travel buyers across North America and Europe, conducted from March 10 to 23, 2026.
