All published updates

SAP Concur Annual Survey: 2025 Business Travel Budgets Rise but Policies Tighten

SAP Concur released its seventh annual Global Business Travel Survey, covering 3,750 business travelers across 24 markets, 700 travel managers across seven markets, and 600 CFOs across six markets. The findings show 89% of travelers, 93% of travel managers, and 90% of CFOs expect travel budgets to increase or stay the same this year, yet 69% of travel managers say budgets do not reflect business travel's importance and 81% of CFOs agree budget limits prevent employees from traveling as needed. Meanwhile, 87% of travelers report their company cut back on previously allowed items over the past 12 months, including overnight stays, business class, and non-client travel.

Amadeus Expands Bogotá Engineering Site to Focus on Global Travel Technology R&D

Amadeus announced the expansion of its engineering site in Bogotá, Colombia, reinforcing its commitment to technology and development. As of March 2025, the site has over 600 employees, 75% of whom focus on technology and development. Headcount grew 10-15% over the past couple of years, investment grew 10-15% year-on-year over the past four years, and office space doubled in the last year. The site will develop technology solutions for airlines, low-cost carriers, agencies, mobility, airport and hotel operations, collaborating with global hubs in Bangalore, Nice, and Manila. Amadeus plans to gradually increase to over 3,000 engineering positions in the next 5-7 years.

Amadeus and UN Tourism Report: Central and Eastern Europe Emerges as New Travel Frontier

Amadeus and UN Tourism jointly released the Travel Insights 2025: Focus on Europe report, based on Amadeus Navigator360 data. Among the top 30 tourism destinations, Azerbaijan was the fastest growing with a 26% increase in air bookings, while Kazakhstan grew 7% and the Czech Republic 6%. Classic destinations still dominate, with the top ten booked destinations in Europe accounting for 70.9% of all trips from May 2024 to April 2025, led by Spain, the UK, Italy, France, and Germany. Western Europe hotel occupancy rose from 67% to 68%, with ADR increasing from $198.32 to $204.24; Northern Europe occupancy rose from 73% to 75%, with ADR from $197.77 to $200.74. Worldwide passenger traffic to Eu…

U.S. State Department: France Travel Advisory Remains Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution

The U.S. Department of State rates France at Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution due to terrorism and unrest. It says terrorist groups may continue to plan attacks with little or no warning, with possible targets including tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets, government facilities, hotels and restaurants, places of worship, major sporting and cultural events, and educational institutions. Peaceful protests and strikes occur often in Paris and other cities, can disrupt transportation, and on rare occasions turn violent or cause property damage, with police possibly responding with water cannons and tear gas. Pickpocketing and phone thefts are frequent in crowded places such as ai…

Impact and considerations

France remains at Level 2, meaning companies traveling to France should monitor terrorism threats and potential transport disruptions from protests and strikes, and remind employees to guard against pickpocketing and phone theft in crowded places.

US State Department Keeps France at Level 2 Travel Advisory

The U.S. Department of State reissued its France travel advisory after a periodic review, keeping it at Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) due to terrorism and civil unrest. Pickpocketing and phone thefts are common in crowded places such as airports, subways and train cars, tourist attractions, and train stations. Terrorist groups may plan attacks with little or no warning, with possible targets including tourist locations, transportation hubs and airports, markets and shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, restaurants and clubs, places of worship, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, and parks. Peaceful demonstrations and strikes occur often in Par…

Impact and considerations

France remains at Level 2, with continued terrorism and civil unrest risks. Business travel requires attention to how demonstrations and strikes disrupt transportation. Pickpocketing and phone theft are common in transport hubs and tourist areas, affecting employee property security and itineraries.

SAP Concur Survey: Safety and Sustainability Shape Business Travel

SAP Concur released its 2024 Global Business Travel Survey of 3,750 business travelers in 24 markets and 600 travel managers in six markets. 44% of travelers would consider declining a trip over destination safety concerns, 35% over political or social concerns and 33% over transport-mode safety. 39% of travel managers said geopolitical safety concerns will make their job harder over the next 12 months, and 37% said duty of care is hard without full trip visibility. Only 23% of travelers said their company requires use of its booking tool. On sustainability, 27% would decline a trip over environmental impact, up from 23% in 2023.

SAP Concur Launches Global Tax Management Solutions Amid E-Invoicing Mandates

SAP Concur has launched global tax management solutions to help companies keep up with rapidly evolving tax regulations. The solutions support various phases of the tax management process, from expense report creation to approval, payment, and reconciliation, and leverage AI and machine learning to maximize tax recovery. Digitized receipts and e-invoice mandates are already in place in countries such as China, Japan, and Mexico. SAP Concur's solutions currently support France, Spain, Japan, China, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand, with support for Portugal, Belgium, and Switzerland coming soon.

On Business Travel, Parents and Non-Parents See Things Differently

SAP Concur's 2023 Global Business Travel Survey found 99% of surveyed parents are willing to travel for business in the next 12 months, but 44% of parents say they travel more than they'd like, versus 25% of non-parents. Parents are more likely to identify a threat to business travel (95% vs 86%), and more concerned about health and safety (48% vs 37%) and international or local conflicts (37% vs 27%). 62% of parents changed accommodations in the past 12 months because they felt unsafe, versus 36% of non-parents.

SAP Concur Survey: Travel Managers Face More Stress and Data Challenges

SAP Concur released its fifth annual Global Business Travel Survey of 700 travel managers across seven markets. The survey shows 47% of travel managers say their role is more stressful than 12 months ago, and 41% cite inflation driving up travel costs. 98% say lagging data and analytics hinder their job, and 98% expect their company to change travel policies in the next year.

SAP Concur Survey: Majority Feel Business Travel Isn't Offered Equally

SAP Concur's fifth annual Global Business Travel Survey polled 3,850 business travelers across 25 markets. Nearly two-thirds (62%) feel they haven't had equal opportunity to travel compared with coworkers, attributing this mainly to age, accent, or gender; in the U.S. the figure rises to 72%. 94% are willing to travel in the next 12 months and 92% say their career depends on successful business travel. Health and safety (44%) remains the biggest threat, and 53% globally changed accommodations in the past 12 months because they felt unsafe, rising to 70% in the U.S. Remote workers report sharper gaps in equal opportunity, travel willingness, and cost pressure.

What Is Top of Mind for SMB Travelers in 2022?

The SAP Concur Global Business Travel Survey polled over 1,100 business travelers at SMBs (fewer than 1,000 employees). Key findings: 34% cite diminished travel budgets as a top-three threat; 50% include rising oil prices and inflation as a threat, higher than 44% at larger organizations; 98% are willing to travel in the next 12 months, but 60% say their current travel schedule falls short of expectations; 48% of unhappy travelers are willing to take action, and 26% will search for a new position; 89% are willing to decline a trip for safety, personal, or environmental reasons; 94% value sustainability info when booking, and 94% plan to act to reduce environmental impact in the next 12 mont…

SAP Concur Survey: Business Travel's Talent Implications

SAP Concur released its fourth annual global business travel survey, covering 3,850 business travelers across 25 markets and 700 travel managers across seven markets. Findings show 61% of travelers say current travel schedules fall short of expectations, and 82% report companies returning to pre-pandemic levels with a 'more travel on fewer shoulders' approach. 91% consider flexible travel options essential for health and safety. Nearly a quarter of travelers not at ideal frequency would seek a new job if schedules don't improve. All surveyed travel managers expect their role to be more challenging in the next 12 months.

SAP Concur Launches Receipt Digitization to Meet Local Regulations

A SAP Concur blog introduces its receipt digitization feature. Many countries have strict legal and tax requirements for digital receipt images, such as France requiring integrity and authenticity, and Spain requiring official certification. SAP Concur automates the process: after taking a photo of a paper receipt with ExpenseIt, back-end processes ensure the image is digitized and managed according to local legal standards, displaying a blue 'certified' icon and automatically adding it to the expense report workflow.

SAP Concur Data: Last-Minute Hotel Bookings in Europe May Be Cheaper

SAP Concur's 2017 EMEA hotel data shows that the lowest median rates can be found 0-3 days before stay, but most rooms are booked 15 or more days out. Travelers are paying more by booking earlier than when prices are at their lowest. Data also shows that rates in Germany hold slightly higher than the median until 4-7 days, while the U.K. sees a 26% drop below the median in the 0-3 day window, compared with Germany's 13% drop. High-end Paris hotel prices are consistently 50% to 90% above the median. The article recommends booking within the cancellation period, signing up for hotel loyalty programs, and avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach.

Global Survey: Employees Link Travel to Business Success

A survey commissioned by SAP Concur and conducted by Wakefield Research among 3,850 business travelers across 25 global markets in April-May 2021 reveals that 96% of respondents are willing to travel for business in the next 12 months, with 65% very willing. 92% are motivated by personal reasons such as making connections and experiencing new places. However, 80% worry that without increased travel, their personal and professional lives will suffer, and 18% fear job loss. Flexibility (72%) has surpassed vaccination requirements (62%) as the most pressing need. 89% plan to add personal vacation time to business trips.

GW University Uses SAP Concur to Make Travel Safer and Easier for Students and Faculty Abroad

The George Washington University (GW) operates in more than 100 countries, creating a large volume of student and faculty travel and expense management. Manual reimbursement processes and siloed data previously made it hard for security teams to track travelers. After adopting SAP Concur solutions, students and faculty can photograph receipts and auto-generate expense reports, improving finance approval efficiency; the security team uses Concur Locate to consolidate location data, proactively monitor risks, and send notifications to affected individuals.

GBTA Study: Lack of Travel Safety Visibility Challenges Corporate Duty of Care

A recent GBTA Foundation study reveals that while employers care about traveler safety, there is often a lack of programs to ensure it. More than half of business travelers in Germany, France, and the UK book outside their corporate tool, and fewer than two in five employers have systems to capture travel plans, leaving them unaware of traveler whereabouts. Additionally, a third of respondents say their employers do not provide an assistance hotline, and there is a need for more specific safety training.

Amex GBT and SAP Concur Partner for Global Online Booking Consistency

SAP Concur published a podcast conversation in which Scott Daube of American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) shared how the company delivers a consistent online booking experience for global clients. Amex GBT has over 4,500 global clients using Concur; the project launched in 16 countries, built 130 customer sites, and involved 35 multinational customers. Amex GBT received a 2020 SAP Concur Partner Innovation Award for this initiative.

TripIt Launches COVID-19 Travel Guidance Covering 200+ Countries

TripIt launched a COVID-19 travel guidance feature providing all users with the latest COVID-19 travel guidelines, restrictions and requirements for destinations, sourced from partner Riskline. The feature covers more than 200 countries and territories and 79 airlines, with regional breakdowns for some countries (Australia by state, Canada by province, the US by state, France by region, Spain by autonomous community). Users can view vaccination rates, vaccine requirements, approved vaccines, testing requirements, quarantine rules, infection rates, and airline-specific cleaning procedures, health documentation requirements and testing scheduling. TripIt Pro users can also search destination…

Impact and considerations

For travel managers, real-time, destination-level COVID-19 entry and health requirement information is fundamental to travel decisions and duty of care. TripIt consolidates multi-country policies and airline requirements into a single app, helping reduce compliance risk and improve travel preparation efficiency.

SAP Concur President Reflects on 2017 Industry Trends

The president of SAP Concur reflects on 2017, noting key industry trends: duty of care became a priority for customers; digital transformation accelerated, such as e-Fapiao in China and e-Bunsho in Japan; the end-user became a key stakeholder; global solutions need to be local; and businesses became more accepting of spend outside preferred channels, managed via TripLink and the NDC standard.

SAP Concur Releases 2018 and Beyond Business Travel, Expense and Invoice Predictions

SAP Concur experts released predictions for business travel, expense and invoice trends in 2018 and beyond. Predictions include: paper receipts becoming obsolete as e-receipts standardize and countries such as France, Spain, China and Japan deregulate paper receipt requirements; non-traditional payment technologies like blockchain and vCards changing transactions and reimbursements; cloud technology enabling small businesses to adopt enterprise tools faster; predictive analytics and personalization transforming business travel; duty of care remaining a C-level priority; and employee-initiated spend becoming the largest unmanaged spend category.

SAP Concur: Using Data to Track Down Your Travelers

A SAP Concur blog post discusses traveler tracking and duty of care challenges. It cites GBTA data showing 42% of travelers prefer to book directly on a supplier's website. It also notes one-third of travelers in the UK, Germany, and France still book directly with suppliers at least once a year despite having access to company online booking tools, and 40% of travelers who used an OBT in the past year also booked directly with a supplier at least once in the same period. It states that if travelers don't book through company channels, employers can't get itinerary information in time, affecting duty of care.