Reaching sustainability goals is corporate travel managers’ top priority for trip management technology investment, according to an Amadeus-commissioned survey of 500 travel managers around the world.
Nearly two-thirds of respondent buyers surveyed during the fourth quarter of 2023 said tapping technology to help progress toward sustainability goals was a technology priority in the survey, a subset of Amadeus’ broader tech investment report released last month. Other top priorities included improving travel policy enforcement, integrating with day-to-day productivity tools and personalizing experiences for travelers, each cited as a priority by 58 percent to 60 percent of respondents.
Amadeus Cytric Solutions SVP of commercial Arlene Coyle said it was “encouraging” that sustainability topped the list of priorities.
“It shows corporations are taking their responsibilities seriously,” she said in the report. “Employees are increasingly demanding information on the environmental impact of a trip. Compliance with new disclosure regulations around sustainability will continue to drive interest.”
Among sustainability technologies asked about in the survey, systems to manage transparent data reporting had the highest percentage of buyers currently investing in it: 54 percent, with an additional 36 percent saying they plan to do so. Software to encourage travelers to pick the most sustainable options was second, with 48 percent currently investing in it and 39 percent planning to. That was followed by technology encouraging travelers arriving at airports or train stations at the same time to share rides, invested in by 47 percent of respondents with 38 percent planning to.
On average, travel managers said their companies plan to increase travel technology investment in 2024 by 13 percent year over year, an increase similar to that reported by business travel agencies in another breakout report released by Amadeus in recent weeks.
