Business travelers gave their travel management companies low marks for innovation, with a solid majority saying they no longer were needed in the current travel ecosystem, in a recent Direct Travel survey of 670 U.S. business travelers.
In the survey, conducted from May 15 through May 17, 93 percent of respondents said their TMC was more focused on travel cost savings than on improving the travel experience, and 84 percent said in light of self-service travel capabilities, TMCs no longer have a role in the business travel ecosystem.
Content is one of the key dissatisfiers, with 63 percent of travelers saying they wanted a wider array of options when booking travel, according to Direct Travel. Additionally, 93 percent of respondents said tech innovation was necessary at their TMC in order for it to remain relevant.
“Today’s business travelers have made it clear: The status quo is not enough,” Direct Travel CEO Christal Bemont said in a statement.
The survey indicated widespread use of blended business and leisure travel, with 90 percent of respondents saying they have extended a business trip for personal travel, and half of respondents said they did so frequently. Nearly all respondents said the ability to combine leisure elements into business trips positively affected their work performance, according to the survey.
Sixty-three percent of travelers said they are willing to pay out-of-pocket for conveniences in travel, such as a hotel room upgrade or extra legroom on a flight.
In addition, the survey indicated travelers are eager for AI solutions in business travel, with 96 percent saying they were at least somewhat interested in a digital assistant that could make personalized recommendations, and 87 percent said they would be comfortable in having travel arrangements made automatically by AI. A recent survey sponsored by SAP Concur, which had a global respondent base, also showed most travelers were interested in AI-powered booking but want it to be rolled out “in a responsible manner.”
