GBTA research in partnership with Cvent reveals how modern travel programs are structured and staffed, the growing convergence of travel and meetings and who is driving AI transformation
Corporate travel teams are playing an increasingly cross-functional role inside their organizations even as nearly two-thirds (62%) of travel managers say their programs are understaffed, according to new research released today from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) in partnership with Cvent.
The new study, “A View From the Inside: How Are Modern Travel Programs Structured, Staffed and Managed,” provides a detailed look at how today’s managed travel programs are organized, staffed and connected across organizations. The research includes areas such as risk, expense, payment and meetings and the growing integration of travel and meetings, as well as how artificial intelligence (AI) transformation is taking shape within these functions.
The findings reveal an evolving corporate travel function whose responsibilities often extend well beyond managing trips.
- Travel teams are highly involved in travel risk management (88%), selecting payment products and providers (66%) and expense management (63%), although they are considerably less likely to have primary ownership of those functions.
- Travel and meetings are also becoming more connected: 39% of travel buyers say the two functions are more integrated than previously, compared with only 7% who say they are less integrated.
At the same time, staffing remains lean.
- Travel programs have an average of 4.9 full-time employees who spend at least 75% of their time on travel-related issues, while the median for programs is just three.
- Nearly two-thirds (62%) of travel managers describe their programs as understaffed, rising to 68% among programs with $30 million or more in annual travel spend.
“Corporate travel management is becoming more connected and more strategic across organizations, even as teams remain remarkably lean. As travel managers take on broader responsibilities and navigate new areas, the question isn’t simply if they have enough staff, but whether they have the right structure, skills and support to succeed. Companies need to ensure their travel teams are equipped for the expanding role they now have to play,” said Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA.
Travel Programs Are Lean, Centralized and Primarily Generalist
The research provides a new benchmark for what a modern managed travel program looks like from the inside:
- Procurement is the most common home for travel programs, cited by 36% of respondents, followed by Finance/Accounting at 23% and Shared/Central Services at 16%. North American programs more likely than EMEA programs to sit within Finance/Accounting, while EMEA programs are more likely to be housed in Human Resources.
- Global travel programs are overwhelmingly centralized to some degree. Among respondents at global or multinational companies, 44% describe their travel programs as fully centralized and another 43% as centralized with regional hubs or support. Only 11% characterize their program as decentralized or localized.
- Most travel teams remain relatively small. However, staffing increases significantly with travel spend, from an average of 2.8 employees among programs spending less than $10 million annually to 7.6 among those spending $30 million or more.
- Generalists remain the backbone of many programs. Forty-five percent of respondents say most staff within their program are generalists with diverse responsibilities, versus 20% who say most are specialists. Specialized positions such as full-time technology administrators (17%), hotel sourcing experts (13%) and technology strategists (10%) remain relatively uncommon.
- Data skills are in demand. Asked which single competency they would most like to add or strengthen within their teams, 35% of travel managers selected data analysis/reporting as the top response.
Travel and Meetings Are Moving Closer Together
More than half of travel programs are involved in both meetings management (58%) and meetings sourcing (57%). Nearly one-quarter (23%) of organizations have gone further by fully consolidating travel and meetings management under the same team.
Even when the functions remain separate, the research shows significant operational overlap. Fifty-five percent say their travel team sometimes manages hotel room blocks for meetings and events, while 48% sometimes negotiate meeting space or group room rates through their regular hotel request-for-proposal process.
Importantly, buyers appear to want that convergence to continue. Eighty-two percent say their organizations would benefit at least a little from greater integration or collaboration between travel and meetings, including 64% who say they would benefit somewhat or greatly.
Among respondents who see a benefit from greater integration, the most commonly cited advantages are consolidated travel and meetings data (76%) and greater savings and discounts (74%).
AI Transformation Often Starts Within Travel Itself
The research also points to an emerging challenge for corporate travel: while AI is moving rapidly across organizations, responsibility for transforming the travel function is often falling to travel teams themselves.
“Travel teams are leaning in on AI, making real strides in improving process and even workflow,” said Brian Sullivan, VP of Product Management, Cvent. “The opportunity now is to not only build the right tools but to incorporate the skills, governance, and collaboration that help AI deliver real value.”
More than one-quarter (28%) of respondents say the travel team itself is driving AI transformation within its program, while another 21% say the travel team and another department are jointly driving transformation. Conversely, 27% say no one is currently driving AI transformation within the travel program. Only 13% say another team, such as IT or information security, is leading the effort.
AI adoption itself is uneven. General-purpose AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT are the most commonly used, while custom-built AI tools and Model Context Protocols remain much less widely adopted or understood. Governance is also still developing: 57% of respondents say their travel program falls under a company-wide AI governance policy, while 15% say it does not fall under an AI governance policy and 17% aren’t sure.
About the Research
GBTA surveyed 270 travel managers across North America and Europe from September 22 through October 1, 2026. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.
Download the full study here.