What are Supplier-Direct Bookings, and Do They Impact Your Travel Program?

An SAP Concur blog post citing a GBTA report notes that 37% of hotel reservations and 15% of air reservations are invisible—made directly with suppliers or through online travel agencies. These percentages remain the same between companies with flexible and strict travel policies. Currently, 80% of travel programs do not use technology to capture supplier-direct bookings. Drivers include convenience, low-cost carriers and discounts, and the sharing economy. The article recommends bringing direct bookings under management by automatically capturing bookings from connected suppliers or encouraging employees to send booking information, to improve policy compliance, duty of care, savings, and…