Only one in 10 travel buyers currently trust AI-generated recommendations for support with bookings, itineraries and travel policies.
In addition, only 10% also currently use AI-enhanced dynamic pricing insights to help make better purchasing decisions, although a further 30% plan to in the next 12 months.
Corporate travel managers were also asked to share the top ways they would like to see AI improve their lives over the next 12 months. They said:
- Better automation of more routine administrative tasks to free up time for strategic planning of travel programmes (25%)
- Providing real-time updates and proactive solutions for travel disruptions, for example cancellations and delays (23%)
- Improving data-driven insights to better optimise travel budgets and policies (21%)
- Enhancing personalisation of travel itineraries based on individual traveller requirements (14%)
- Streamlining expense management (7%)
- More efficient reporting (7%)
Steve Clagg, Corporate Travel Technology Consultant and one of the judges of the Innovation Faceoff award at the Business Travel Show America, which carried out the research, said: “The corporate travel sector is currently experiencing a period of unprecedented evolution, whereby competitive advantage is set to be largely dominated by understanding and application of AI and its capabilities.
“The core inefficiencies that many travel buyers and managers are faced with on a daily basis – manual workflows, fragmented data and systems, poor compliance oversight, and limited operational visibility – aren’t just inconveniences, they are very real and present barriers to building efficiency and likewise adopting a more strategic approach to programme, policy and budget management.
“AI is reshaping travel in distinct ways. Agentic AI reduces manual workload by autonomously managing tasks like rebookings, policy checks, and expense exceptions. Generative AI enhances communication and clarity, delivering real-time, personaliesd updates and simplifying complex information for travellers and managers alike. Together, they create efficiency, improve compliance, and elevate the overall travel experience.
