Business Travel Demand Grows as Corporate Procurement Logic Shifts
A TravelDaily Research survey shows 36.5% of business travelers reported increased travel frequency in 2026, mainly up 5-20%, driven by professional services, finance, technology, internet services and healthcare, as well as central SOEs, local SOEs and foreign-invested enterprises in China. 61% of companies have taken cost optimization measures, and 80.7% have asked TMCs to improve quality while reducing fees. About 55% of respondents had international travel experience, with 43% reporting growth. 38.7% of companies have started AI pilots, but ROI and data security are key barriers.
Impact and considerations
Business travel demand is growing but procurement standards are becoming more complex, requiring TMCs to shift from pure transaction services to resource integration and management capabilities. Corporate globalization further amplifies demand for global resource integration and digital management, while AI adoption r…
Key points
- 36.5% of business travelers reported increased travel frequency in 2026, mainly up 5-20%.
- Growth is mainly driven by professional services, finance, technology, internet services and healthcare, with central SOEs, local SOEs and foreign-invested enterprises in China also important sources of demand.
- 61% of companies have taken cost optimization measures, with 21.8% having systematic special initiatives.
- 80.7% of companies have asked TMCs to improve quality while reducing fees, and compliance and risk control are increasingly important for large enterprises.
- About 55% of respondents had international travel experience this year, with 43% reporting growth.
- About half of companies have started digital transformation of international air tickets, 34.4% have not started, and 51.6% of TMCs say they are ready.
- 38.7% of companies have started AI pilots, with applications including automated Q&A and travel policy management, and 29% have relatively mature applications.
- 38.7% of surveyed TMCs said clients are unwilling to pay separately for AI or have not seen clear ROI.
Sources and time
- Primary source
- 环球旅讯
- Other sources
- 0
- First source publication
- 28 Sept 2026, 08:00
- Page published
- 28 Sept 2026, 18:00
- Last updated
- 28 Sept 2026, 08:00
- Original links
- TravelDaily China：差旅需求还在增长，企业的钱开始花得更精了 - 环球旅讯 (opens in a new tab)Primary source · zh · Published 28 Sept 2026, 08:00