Most business travelers are open to yet uncomfortable with AI-enabled options in booking business travel, according to the latest data released by SAP Concur as part of its annual Global Business Travel Survey.
The survey, based on responses from 3,750 business travelers across 24 markets, showed 89 percent said they would be comfortable with AI-powered booking tools that are rolled out in “a responsible manner.” In fact, 22 percent of business travelers in the survey said AI-enabled travel recommendations were “critical” to include in the booking tool.
At the same time, 89 percent of business travelers also said they are not yet comfortable using AI-enabled options in business travel, according to the survey. Younger travelers were more cautious than their older counterparts in the survey, with 95 percent of Gen Z and millennial travelers expressing discomfort with AI in booking, compared with 83 percent of Gen X business travelers and 68 percent of baby boomers.
Among the reasons for that discomfort, 48 percent of business travelers said they wanted to be assured their personal data would be protected, 38 percent wanted company-provided training on how to use the tool and 37 percent wanted to be assured the tools did not create bias, according to the survey.
“While the appetite for AI is strong, especially when it addresses the specific pain points that come with booking travel, businesses will need to ensure they roll out AI tools in a responsible manner,” Concur Travel president Charlie Sultan said in a blog post.
Business travelers expressed an even stronger interest in broader use of AI in their travel tasks, with 95 percent indicating they would like to use AI to support their tasks, including 37 percent for visa documentation, 37 percent for capturing and reporting expenses and 37 percent for finding sustainable travel options. Similarly, of the 600 travel managers surveyed for the research, 64 percent said they would like to see AI automate some of their responsibilities.
Concur’s survey was conducted by Wakefield Research from April 5 to April 26.
