Latest news with #businessTravel
WIRED
2 days ago
- Business
- WIRED
The Future of Business Travel
With the right technology, investing in business travel can create revenue. Photo credit: Getty Images More than 1 million people travel for business in the United States every day. Hundreds of hotel reservations are booked each minute for corporate travel accommodations. And every month, tens of millions in reimbursements are processed. The energy of business and travel is frenetic and constant. If you're on the organizational end of confirming that each employee books in-policy travel, arrives at each destination without any disruptions, and that excess spending is at a minimum, managing business travel can also be overwhelming. Shopping for flights, hotel rooms, and ground travel options across a dynamic pricing environment with different channel options and rate packages being offered is an overload of information—and asking, 'Can I change my ticket?' or, 'Is the room cancelable?' for every booking isn't the best use of anyone's time. Booking travel shouldn't have to be hard, but it is. According to recent polls, 45 percent of travel managers say that negotiating with hotels has become more challenging in the last five years, and that they're spending more time negotiating prices, comparing proposals, and researching travel options. But without that information, a company can leave (a lot of) money on the table. The key is using technology to ease the workload. A multinational company with 52,000 employees traveling globally each year reached a tipping point with its travel management plan recently. Despite working with a travel management company (TMC) for years, the bottom line proved employees were still struggling with cost visibility, accessing flexible fares, and booking accommodations with in-policy hotels. To make a change—and to create an easier booking process for their employees—integrated, automated mass booking solutions within their systems were needed. After partnering with American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) to integrate new features and services like waitlisting, bulk cancellations, and hotel booking into their employee travel process, they achieved millions in annual savings. Aside from massive savings, travel has been simplified for the company's employees, too. When a sudden change of aircraft was needed, employees booked and ticketed the change within an hour, saving time and money. The attention within the team that would have gone to a disruption like that is now given to improving other travel processes, like consolidating contractor travel and extending discounted airline rates to contractors. It's anecdotes like these that offer a glimpse into how, in the world of business travel, a little bit of innovation can go a long way. Innovations in Business Travel Despite online meetings, communication technologies, tariffs, and national entry restrictions—all of which can factor into a decrease in bookings—business travel isn't going anywhere. In February, 80 percent of Amex GBT's top 100 customers said their travel spending will either remain steady or increase this year. These stats are coming in after years of post-pandemic increases in business travel, and the new 'remain steady' numbers are still clocking in larger than pre-pandemic figures. That's why leading companies are leveraging technology—not to replace business travel, but to elevate it.. 'Better' often looks like simplifying the process for employees who book their own travel and those who book travel for others. A whopping 94 percent of travel and expense management decision-makers at companies want an all-in-one solution for travel, reimbursement, and expense management, while only 58 percent of those same decision-makers currently understand all the travel-related fees they are currently dealing with. That's why Amex GBT has spent more than 100 years building relationships within the industry to create the most valuable marketplace in travel, which brings global travel buyers and sellers together in one place. Access to the marketplace is enabled by Amex GBT's range of technology solutions, which are fit to meet the specific preferences of a company's travel program. Here, users can experience a customized and self-service environment—from travel booking and expensing to automatic rebooking and reimbursement. As a global business travel leader, Amex GBT manages travel for 20,000 companies and operates in 120 countries. All of that familiarity has led to a unique approach to simplifying every user experience. 'What innovation looks like to our customers is what matters,' says John Sturino, senior vice president of product and engineering. 'Our customers are saying, 'I see this feature here and I want to see it here.'' To him, innovation means taking something from one context and applying it to a different context—like automatically contacting travelers who are experiencing a travel delay or disruption by notifying them of the effects it has on their travel and then asking if they need support, instead of waiting for travelers to initiate customer support contact. This improves the customer experience in ways that they didn't know were even possible. That inspiration and approach is how certain solutions and products offered by Amex GBT came to be. Amex GBT Select allows companies to incorporate Amex GBT tools into existing technology to fill any gaps that exist within their current program without a total rehaul. Similarly, companies that prefer using a third-party booking tool can integrate that software as well. For the spending and reimbursement aspect of business travel, Amex GBT Neo allows managers to easily track their company travel spend while helping employees stay within policy and get reimbursed quickly. A New Era of Efficiency No matter where you look these days, every company, industry, and platform is touting its latest AI-driven tool, promising ease, efficiency, and problem-solving capabilities. But one industry where AI hasn't hit its stride yet is travel. The travel industry is highly fragmented, with numerous players and constant changes, making it challenging to integrate AI across ecosystems. Additionally, travel is one area where customers report preferring traditional, human-to-human interactions over AI-driven services. According to recent research, 64 percent of US-based travelers prefer live agents to support them when facing disruption. So even though the latest AI technology is easy to get excited about, Amex GBT approaches its platform from the lens of a 100-plus-year history, putting every idea through its paces before applying it to the business travel experience. The first opportunity to create efficiency in travel is often through relationships. Then comes the technology. Currently, Amex GBT is working with and has access to 600+ airlines, 60+ rail providers, 40 rental car agencies in 3,300 locations globally, more than 2 million properties across 180 countries, and 18K+ employees globally. Business travel booked by Amex GBT, on average, represents 188,000 air segments flown daily and 146,000 hotel beds filled nightly. Customers benefit from the brand's generations-old relationships through the tech used in Amex GBT's products. This hybrid approach to travel solutions results in 24/7 support, access to flexible fares, up to 50 percent savings on the best available rate at certain properties, and built-in carbon impact data to empower customers to source the most sustainable travel option available through Amex GBT Egencia. A Dollar Saved and a Dollar Earned Business travel fosters innovation, collaboration, and positive organizational change in a way that nothing else does. In-person meetings, unstructured time, and shared travel experiences connect teams and create genuine rapport through the subtle, hard-to-measure effects of something as small as eye contact, a smile, or a nod. With the opportunity to come together comes the chance to create great ideas that may not come to life in any other environment, which is why roughly 50 percent of employees prefer in-person meetings. When you look at it that way, where you go matters. How you get there matters, too, whether you're looking through the lens of sustainability, user experience, or revenue. Nearly a third of C-suite leaders credit a third of their company's sales growth in 2023 to traveling for in-person meetings, and more than 90 percent believe they would lose customers without business travel. For small- and medium-size companies, every dollar spent on business travel generates an average of $12 in revenue, largely driven by new customer acquisition. An investment in business travel is just that—an investment. But using technology to better position how that investment looks—and the experience your team receives—creates a value that, arguably, can't be quantified.
Travel Daily News
6 days ago
- Business
- Travel Daily News
JTB Business Travel launches Teal to transform business travel management
Teal, powered by Spotnana, combines global reach and cutting-edge cloud technology to deliver a smarter business travel experience to companies of all sizes. TORRANCE, CA – JTB Business Travel, a service brand of JTB USA Inc., announced the launch of Teal, a modern, cloud-based travel management platform designed to simplify, personalize, and transform the way companies manage their global travel programs. Powered by Spotnana's industry-leading technology, Teal unifies Travel Managers, Travelers, and JTB Business Travel Advisors on a single platform to create a simplified, intuitive, and scalable experience for organizations of all sizes. JTB Business Travel is also the first Travel Management Company (TMC) to offer Spotnana's platform across owned points of sale in over 15 countries, expanding to 25 by the end of 2025 – enabling fast, truly global program rollouts. Built to address the evolving demands of modern business travel, Teal empowers Travel Managers with real-time visibility, policy control, sustainability tracking, and integrations with HR and expense systems. For Travelers, Teal delivers an easy-to-use, mobile-friendly booking experience that offers full inventory access across air, hotel, rail, and car rental, along with real-time alerts, global support, and personalized, policy-aligned options. Travelers also gain the autonomy to book, modify, or cancel their trips independently – with seamless support on the road whenever they need it. The results speak for themselves. According to data from Spotnana, the cloud-based platform that powers Teal, existing users have achieved a 94% average self-service online booking rate. This type of efficiency leads to meaningful cost savings through streamlined booking, increased traveler autonomy, and stronger supplier management. 'At JTB Business Travel, we're always challenging ourselves to find new ways to deliver exceptional service through smarter technology,' said Geert de Boo, General Manager and Vice President of Global Business Travel at JTB USA, Inc. 'Teal supports our pursuit of that goal and represents a major step forward for our clients – bringing together JTB's global expertise and Spotnana's cloud technology to deliver the best possible travel experiences.' Unlike legacy systems that require complex and lengthy rollouts, Teal makes it easy to deploy global travel programs – often as simple as configuring a list of countries to be launched. Teal also bridges the gap between managed and unmanaged travel by offering a turnkey, cost effective alternative that gives companies full support from JTB Travel Advisors with minimal lift to get started. 'Spotnana and JTB Business Travel are working together to offer businesses around the world a powerful combination of advanced technology and exceptional service,' said Steve Singh, Executive Chairman and CEO of Spotnana. 'By connecting JTB Business Travel's clients and expert Travel Advisors through Spotnana Cloud for TMCs, everyone can benefit from improved travel experiences, greater efficiency, and faster innovation.' With Teal, companies can roll out consistent travel programs across markets in minutes, manage costs with greater accuracy, and support traveler wellbeing with always-on access to human-centered support. Key Teal Features Include: Simultaneous global rollout across languages, currencies, and regions Real-time spend monitoring, safety tracking, and sustainability reporting Comprehensive booking inventory for air, hotel, rail, and car rentals Pre-built integrations with HR, finance, and expense management platforms 24/7 support powered by unified traveler profiles and policy information
Travel Daily News
28-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
The advantages of eSIM for modern business travelers
For business travellers who are tired of managing SIM cards, paying roaming charges or facing connectivity issues abroad, eSIM offers a definitive solution. It's not only convenient, it's a competitive advantage. We live in a highly connected world today, and the corporate world has become more globalised than ever before. Executives cross time zones, digital nomads run companies from cafes in Bali, and remote teams work effortlessly across continents with no expectation of a drop in productivity. In this changing world, connectivity is crucial and the eSIM is transforming the international use of mobile internet and phone services. Unlike traditional SIM cards, which need to be physically inserted and replaced, eSIMs are embedded directly into the device, allowing consumers to activate a mobile phone contract without the need for a physical card. Let's explore why the eSIM represents a significant advance for modern business travellers. 1. Instant Connectivity, Anywhere in the World Maintaining connectivity abroad has always been a major problem for business travellers. Usually, you either have to pay exorbitant roaming charges or sign up to an international tariff that cuts into your revenue or, worse still, visit a foreign location to get a small chip for your devices. With an international travel eSIM, such inconveniences are eliminated. You can download and activate a local data plan from your destination before you leave the airport — or better still, before your flight takes off. This means that you can activate your smartphone as soon as you get off the plane and immediately access your local data. So you can check your emails, order an Uber or join a Zoom call. 2. No Need to Swap Physical SIM Cards The actual SIM card exchange is a challenge for regular travellers: Where do you keep all those little SIM cards? What are the consequences if you lose your SIM card at home? How can you return the card without misplacing anything? eSIM simplifies all these unnecessary complications. Your device lets you save many profiles that you can change in the settings. Travellers who often cross many countries or pursue global business activities in several areas benefit greatly from this. Imagine you live in New York but often fly to Tokyo and London. With eSIM, you can save three active profiles and easily switch between them. You won't lose any more small cards and you won't have to fiddle with ejector pins in airline lounges. 3. Reduced Costs and Better Budgeting Using traditional roaming can incur significant costs, especially if you don't switch it off or monitor how much you end up using. By using eSIMs, you can avoid these costs entirely by choosing local or regional tariffs that offer more favourable prices. You can also compare providers and costs instantly, allowing you to choose the best tariff for your data needs and the length of your trip. With many eSIM providers, you can top up or renew your tariffs directly from your mobile device, eliminating the need to visit physical shops or kiosks. This level of control prevents unexpected expenses and greatly improves budget planning for both individuals and companies with travelling employees. 4. Enhanced Security and Peace of Mind Losing a physical SIM card abroad is not only annoying, but also a security problem. Especially if it is linked to two-factor authentication or corporate programmes, a lost SIM card could be maliciously misused. Since eSIMs are integrated directly into the hardware of your smartphone, it is more difficult to lose or steal them. For added security and peace of mind, there are also certain devices that allow remote deactivation of eSIM profiles in case your phone is lost or stolen. When dealing with mobile fleets or devices for travelling employees, this provides an extra layer of security for corporate IT departments. 5. Dual SIM Functionality for Work-Life Balance Many current mobile phones with eSIM capability enable a dual SIM function — a physical SIM and an eSIM. This is ideal for business travellers who want to keep their private and business numbers separate on the same smartphone. For data consumption during your holiday, you can install a local eSIM plan but use your home number as the main SIM. While you're surfing with local data, you'll receive important business calls — all without having to carry two phones. This dual approach — cleaner, more efficient, more professional —allows business travellers to stay within their limits without compromising connectivity. 6. Environmental and Logistical Advantages While it may not seem like much, the elimination of plastic SIM cards and packaging supports environmental initiatives — something that is even more important for modern businesses. eSIMs reduce waste, transport and reliance on actual distribution systems. From a logistical point of view, eSIMs can simplify the supply chain for organisations providing mobile devices to teams or employees abroad. Everything can be managed electronically and remotely instead of collecting SIM cards and shipping them everywhere. 7. Supports the Rise of Remote Work and Digital Nomadism With the advent of remote working, the distinction between 'business' and 'travelling' is blurring Professionals now work from ski resorts in Switzerland, villas in Tulum or coworking buildings in Lisbon. eSIM fits this way of life. It offers digital nomads and remote workers the opportunity to travel between different countries without having to rely on a mobile data connection. With a six-month remote work visa or a one-month work trip, you can stay available, connected and productive. 8. Corporate Management and Centralized Control For companies with an internationally mobile workforce, eSIM technology simplifies the management of devices and plans. Many corporate eSIM providers offer standardized dashboards that allow IT administrators to assign data plans to employees. This level of control is ideal for companies looking to increase their telecoms spend, ensure compliance and optimise their operations. Final Thoughts In a world where online presence is essential, connectivity drives productivity and global mobility characterises modern business. Travel can be streamlined, expenses minimised, security improved and the adaptable lives of remote workers and global teams made easier. For business travellers who are tired of managing SIM cards, paying roaming charges or facing connectivity issues abroad, eSIM offers a definitive solution. It's not only convenient, it's a competitive advantage. The era of the eSIM has begun. For the smart, mobile and international business traveller, it changes everything. Photo by Jack Sparrow from Pexels
Hospitality Net
28-05-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
GBTA Establishes New Advisory Boards in India and China to Strengthen its Expanding Presence in Asia Pacific
SINGAPORE - The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world's premier business travel and meetings trade organization, is expanding its engagement with the business travel industry community in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region with the creation of two new GBTA advisory boards in India and China. Announced yesterday during the GBTA APAC Conference 2025 — held in partnership with the WERC® Regional Summit at the Raffles City Convention Centre — these new advisory boards bring together regional professionals from leading organizations to provide strategic advisement, industry knowledge, and local market insights as GBTA continues to expand its footprint across APAC. For GBTA India, Ajay Bhatt, Group Head, Corporate Services for Godrej Industries Group, will serve as Chairperson of the country's 15-member Advisory Board which includes: Siva Sankar Ala, Director- Travel & Hospitality, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd . . Sri Arardhi, Co-Founder, Fast Collab Systems Pvt Ltd. Rajan Bahadur, CEO, Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council of India THSC Monica Bhatnagar, Assistant Project Officer, World Bank Rajan Dua, Founder & Managing Director, Udaan India Private Limited Dev Karvat, Founder & CEO, Asego Amarnath Lal Das, India Travel Lead and Global Crisis and Compliance, Accenture Solutions PVT. LTD Manian SGS, Associate Director, Mindsprint Gaurav Shekhar Nagwekar, Head Travel Logistics & Corporate Service Administration, Reliance Industries Jehangir Press, VP - Strategic Accounts Management Group & Commercial Director Qmin, Indian Hotel Company Limited Sudha Prasad, Sr Manager - Compliance (Travel Industry), Mphasis Limited Prasad Shriyan, Vice President - Corporate Travel, Thomas Cook Santosh Sharma, Co-founder & CEO, Foresee Aviation Sakshi Vij, Managing Director, Carzonrent India Pvt Ltd. The 10-member Advisory Board for GBTA China includes: Jonathan Kao, Managing Director, North Asia, BCD Travel Becky Cao, Vice President - Sales and Marketing, China, Langham Hospitality Group Michael Du, Managing Director, CIBT Lingyun Fan, APAC Travel Manager, General Motors Anja Jia, General Manager of Client Success, Ibrahim Orhanli, General Manager, Eastern China, Turkish Airlines Liping Si, Travel Operations Lead - APJ, ExxonMobil Samuel Wang, Travel Manager, APAC, Adient Yoyo Wang, Regional Senior Sourcing Manager of General Service, MGS Commercial APMEA, Mars Sophie Xu, Global Procurement-Procurement Manager, BeiGene The addition of these boards follows the successful formation of a GBTA Advisory Board in Australia earlier this year. GBTA has also added local staff based in Singapore, Australia and India to better support members and partners, reinforcing its long-term commitment to the APAC region. Our mission in APAC is to empower the business travel community through meaningful connections and tailored support and offerings. By leveraging the insights of our advisory board members and fostering collaboration, we're able to address the unique needs of the region, ensuring that APAC remains a dynamic hub for business travel. Catherine Logan, GBTA Regional Senior Vice President for EMEA and APAC India and China represent essential and growing markets for business travel with immense potential for innovation,. Our regional initiatives such as our APAC Conference exemplify our commitment to dialogue and partnership in a region that plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the industry. Elle Ng-Darmawan, GBTA Regional Director for APAC The GBTA APAC Conference 2025, taking place 27-28 May, is a platform for business travel professionals in APAC and beyond to network, gain insights from industry leaders and participate in peer-to-peer learning. For more information about the GBTA APAC Conference 2025, go to To learn more about GBTA APAC, visit the regional website here. About GBTA The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world's premiere business travel and meetings trade organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area and serving stakeholders across six continents. GBTA and its 8,000+ members represent and advocate for the $1.48 trillion global travel business and meetings industry. GBTA and the GBTA Foundation deliver world-class education, events, research, advocacy and media to a growing global network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts. For more information visit About the GBTA Foundation The mission of the GBTA Foundation, the US 501c3 charitable arm of the Global Business Travel Association, is to help the global business travel industry create a positive impact and better future for people and the planet. The GBTA Foundation focuses on the strategy and execution of GBTA's global sustainability programs, supporting initiatives related to climate action; diversity, equity and inclusion; and other talent-related topics via education, research and advocacy. For more information visit Debbie Iannaci GBTA Global Communications, PR & Research +1 305 301 7057 GBTA
Skift
23-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
Record Numbers, Rising Worries at IMEX Frankfurt 2025
IMEX Frankfurt delivered its usual mix of deals, networking, and education. But beneath the business-as-usual veneer, geopolitical uncertainties kept conversations real. Geopolitical uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration dominated conversations at IMEX Frankfurt 2025, emerging as a key concern in both education sessions and informal discussions on the show floor. Despite the backdrop, the event wrapped Thursday with a strong showing: 13,000 attendees and more than 4,000 buyers participated in 67,000 pre-scheduled meetings over three days — figures that CEO Carina Bauer said matched pre-pandemic levels. Organizers said the show was the largest ever in terms of exhibitor floor space. Still, instability has been impacting meetings. Cvent's latest global sourcing data shows a loss of around 5% of room nights in Europe year to date. One education session specifically addressed the first 100 days of the Trump administration and dispelled some of the misconceptions about welcoming business travelers to the U.S. The session featured Kevin Hinton, managing director, group travel of the U.S. Travel Association, and Elliott Ferguson, President & CEO of Destination DC, who was recently deposed from his role at chair of Brand USA. A joint study by The Hague & Partners Convention Bureau and the European Society of Association Executives revealed overwhelming concern from association and nonprofit executives, with 28% saying they had already relocated their events to more politically stable regions, although it did define or ask respondents what they consider these to be. An Industry Reliant on Political Support Programming at IMEX Policy Forum, which connects government officials with industry leaders, mostly avoided the issue. But many spoke about the need for industry leaders to maintain ties to policy makers and it showed in announcements from several destinations at IMEX Frankfurt 2025. London's Deputy Mayor for Business and Growth, Howard Dawber, took part in the forum and joined the London Convention Bureau at the show to outline the city's 10-year experience economy growth plan, and highlight 10 major international congresses scheduled for 2026, projected to generate $337 million (£250 million). A delegation of state-level policy makers from Maharashtra, India, also took part in the forum. On Wednesday they officially launched the Maharashtra Convention Bureau with an emphasis on promoting the capacity of the 2022-built, one-million-square-foot Jio World Convention Centre to the global market Ireland's Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, who took part in the forum three years ago was also on site to launch the country's Business Events 2030 strategy, which targets 8% annual revenue growth through 2030 for a sector worth $1.13 billion (€1 billion). Luxembourg's Minister Delegate for Tourism Eric Thill was also present to announce Bettina Bunge as Luxembourg Convention Bureau's new CEO, while unveiling a fresh brand identity. ICCA Rankings Reveal Shifting Competitive Landscape For many destinations, the ICCA rankings remain a key way of demonstrating marketing activity success to policy makers or anyone else making budgetary decisions. This year saw the return of Vienna to the top of the city rankings, with Lisbon in a close second. The U.S. led the country rankings, with Italy maintaining its second place. ICCA expanded its analysis and included alternative city rankings where Dubai led cities in average event participants and Barcelona topped direct revenue generation with an estimated $360 million in total direct economic return. Partnerships Strengthen Industry Cohesion Two bodies representing the global industry — one U.S.-based and one EU-based — announced a refreshing partnership. The Events Industry Council (EIC) and the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) agreed to coordinate efforts in sustainability, advocacy, and research. The collaboration offers a welcome respite to the polarized political climate, even if it is long overdue. New Research Highlights Industry Challenges With diversity and sustainability taking the brunt of some of the Trump administration's early initiatives, IMEX Frankfurt 2025 saw the announcement of research and resources offering insights for destinations and associations. The Global Destination Sustainability Movement and the European Travel Commission published "A Destination's Guide to the New EU Sustainability Regulations," offering practical guidance on sustainability reporting requirements and environmental claims compliance. Amid U.S. political pressures, Destination Canada released year-two findings of its Legacy & Impact Study, focusing on identifying the key legacy drivers for business events, pre-event success factors and outcome categories for measuring impact. Finally, a new study on event funding revealed a significant disconnect between stated goals and selection criteria. The analysis of 115 destination bid funding support programs by Conferli, #MEET4IMPACT and the Global Destination Sustainability Movement revealed that 91% of destinations claim to prioritize positive impact, but only 6% include environmental or social impact criteria in funding decisions.
