How are corporate travel programs changing?

Renewals in 2026 come with sharper questions. GBTA's polls through the year show what buyers are watching, and what they now expect their TMC to handle.

Is business travel spending still growing?

Yes, mostly through price. GBTA forecasts global business travel spend up 7.2 percent in 2026, while trips grow 1.3 percent. US agency data tells the same story: in the third quarter of 2026, ARC's agency air sales rose 18 percent while passenger trips rose 3.5 percent.

Confidence moved with the news. The share of buyers feeling optimistic went from 59 percent in January to 41 percent in April, then back to 63 percent in September.

What are buyers worried about?

• Cost. Affordability topped the list in January at 70 percent, and rising travel costs still led in September at 69 percent.
• Content. 46 percent named missing content in the booking tool as an operational challenge.
• Leakage. 39 percent named bookings made outside the program, and 72 percent said travelers finding cheaper hotel rates elsewhere is their top hotel pain point.
• Risk. In April, 79 percent cited geopolitical instability as a top travel risk.

What do buyers want from their TMC?

Both technology and people. In GBTA's May 2026 study, buyers weighted technology at 54 percent and servicing at 46 percent. Across regions, their biggest gaps were consolidated reporting (63 percent) and consistent traveler support (60 percent), and 12 percent had one view of their program from a single data source.

Service quality is on their minds too: 52 percent of buyers said they were concerned about it in January.

How is duty of care changing?

It's getting more attention. In April 2026, 67 percent of buyers named traveler safety as a concern, up from 56 percent, and 36 percent were re-evaluating their duty of care policies. Half had changed routes, and half had suspended travel to a region. 70 percent said the travel function matters more during disruption.

What data and reporting do buyers expect?

One consolidated view, delivered on a schedule. Buyers increasingly expect help with sustainability as well: in one buyer survey, the share relying on their TMC to keep programs sustainable rose from 22 percent in 2024 to 32 percent in 2025.

How are buyers thinking about AI?

With interest and caution. In May 2026, 58 percent of buyers said AI had made little impact on their program so far. They showed the most interest in predictive spend forecasting (92 percent) and automated disruption rebooking (89 percent). Data privacy and security was the biggest barrier.

Common questions