The travel landscape has changed dramatically over the last several years. Are you serving your business Traveler’s current needs? Here’s how to begin better managing business Traveler demands in 2025.
As a small or mid-sized enterprise, you have unique business travel needs and equally unique business Travelers. It’s likely that you’re also spending more on your business travel than you have in years past. According to data from Business Travel News, more than 60% of SMEs said they were spending more on travel in 2024 than they did in 2023, with more than a third saying that their travel spend was up by more than 10%, year over year. However, what are you getting from that greater spend? Are you truly managing business Traveler demands?
If you’re not quite feeling that you’re managing business Traveler demands to the best of your ability or that you could simply be getting more value from your travel program, here are just a few ways you can adapt your approach to business travel in 2025.
1. Consider how travel management operates within your organization.
According to the linked data to Business Travel News above, many surveyed SMEs allow someone within their organization to manage travel, but they do so in addition to other roles. The majority of SMEs said they had a dedicated, full-time, in-house Travel Manager, but this majority was a slight one, at just a 1% lead over those SMEs that said an employee managed travel above and beyond their other work.
If you’re relying on someone in your organization to manage travel on top of other responsibilities, you may find that you’re missing out on the potential value your travel program could provide. It’s likely that that individual does not have the travel management expertise you need, and their value could be better realized by focusing on their original role.
In contrast, when you work with a Travel Management Company, you reap the benefits of working with an experienced, dedicated business travel professional whose entire role is about ensuring your travel program is profitable (and all without the extra cost of hiring a full-time, in-house Travel Manager!).
If you don’t feel you’re managing business Traveler demands, it could be a simple case of not having the right resources in the right roles to meet those demands.
2. Consider if you’re staying relevant with the times.
Another thing that the Business Travel News survey linked above reported? Most SMEs have not changed their restrictions on business travel in the past year to loosen or tighten their policies. More than 70% reported no changes whatsoever.
That lack of change, unfortunately, can mean that you’re not staying relevant with business Travelers’ increasing demands. Business Travelers want their travel experiences to remain modern, personalized and convenient — while also keeping them safe and secure.
As such, it’s important to strike a balance between offering a travel program that’s flexible enough to meet travelers’ needs and convenient enough that travelers easily remain compliant — while also prioritizing a travel program that keeps both travelers and the company safe.
Striking this careful balance requires finesse, expertise and having a finger on the pulse of the business travel industry. A Travel Management Company easily checks all of these boxes.
3. Consider how you use tech in your travel management.
A vast array of technology is available to SMEs when it comes to managing business Traveler demands. However, not all tech is going to be suitable for your needs or budget. It can be difficult to know what to invest in and what to avoid. A knowledgeable travel management company can help you pick the best tech stack for your needs and budget.
For example, maybe you need a booking system outfitted with the latest tech. You need something that can help your Travelers book not just travel at a good price but travel that’s compliant and even suited to your organization’s carbon footprint reduction goals.
Or maybe you need a better expense reporting system. You need something that makes it easier for Travelers to record their expenses and then be reimbursed and, therefore, remain compliant with your business travel expense policies.
Whatever the pain point within your travel program, it’s likely that there’s a tech solution that can help alleviate it. You just have to know where to look and the best tech tools to get the job done.
4. Consider how business travel is impacting the employee experience.
According to one business travel survey, employees still recognize the benefits of business travel. Nearly 90% of surveyed employees reported that travel is important for company growth.
However, the way they experience business travel is evolving — just as the way they experience work is evolving. SMEs’ travel programs need to evolve with them, particularly as a new generation of talent enters the workforce.
Studies have found that Gen Z, in particular, is interested in business travel for career growth purposes. As such, many organizations are expanding business travel opportunities in order to attract Gen Z talent to their cohorts.
That said, business travel isn’t all pros and no cons for all talent. The same survey linked above noted that many business Travelers report issues such as anxiety, loneliness and health challenges among the downsides to business travel.
As such, the Business Travel Experience should be personalized to your business Travelers, just like every part of the job is. Recognizing Travelers’ individual needs and preferences — with the help of a dedicated Travel Manager and the right travel tech — can ensure everyone gets what they need. In turn, this ensures that your organization gets what it needs from every business trip.
Need More Help?
JTB Business Travel can help your SME find the right solutions for your travel team, whether that team is large or small, whether you travel often or only every once in a while, whether you travel internationally or domestically.
Learn more about our suite of services and get in touch today.
