Posted on Monday, December 15 2025
Global financial services firm Morgan Stanley says that corporate travel is expected to rise by at least 5% globally in 2026, while the impact of virtual meetings on travel continues to shrink.But while travel managers predict increases in air travel, accommodation and trips, they also say that organizations continue to look for ways to improve the business travel function, whether that means decreasing costs, improving processes, or maximizing productivity for employees.
If you’re responsible for managing travel for your organization, here’s what you can do in 2026 to make your life easier – while improving the bottom line and ensuring that your internal clients are happier.
Spend some time analyzing your data: This doesn’t have to mean poring over spreadsheets for hours. Just make some time to take stock of your travel function in 2025: The most common destinations and trip lengths, the average lead time provided, what types of travel were most commonly used, what issues arose most often, etc. This will help you prioritize your requirements for the new year.
Talk to the most frequent travelers: In most organizations, certain individuals or teams tend to travel far more than others. These frequent travelers will have some insights that your data may not reveal: Which travel turned out to be most productive, how much was last-minute vs planned, hidden irritants or productivity black holes that caused issues, what policies were helpful – or not. The more you know about the experience of these travelers, the better you can deliver solutions.
Be proactive – not reactive: One of the easiest ways to blow up your travel strategy (and budget) is to act like an internal travel agency which just fulfills requests as they come in. You end up at the mercy of fluctuating requirements, duplicated efforts, and last-minute plans. Make some time to talk to the departments, teams or functions that tend to do the most traveling about their business goals – and resulting potential travel needs – for the year to come. You won’t be able to avoid every unplanned request, but you can put some policies and procedures in place to minimize cost and time disruptions.
Create – or revisit – your travel policies: Studies suggest that as many as 80% of corporate travelers book their travel outside of official channels, typically because they’re frustrated with – or don’t know – their organization’s travel policies. This can mean increased costs, reduced oversight, and even safety concerns, especially for overseas travelers. If you haven’t got a detailed travel policy in place, this is the time to create one; if you have one in place and it isn’t being followed, it’s time to ensure that it’s easy to understand and that it’s been properly disseminated to the organization.
Get creative: One of the reasons employees start trying to book their own travel is because they’ve found alternatives that are more flexible or deliver better experiences than what corporate is offering. It may be time for your travel management to find a way to implement these alternatives: It may be taking on a long-term corporate housing arrangement in a city where employees travel most often; it may be negotiating a seamless booking process with a transportation provider; it may mean providing incentives for travel policy compliance. The most successful travel functions aren’t the ones who stick to ‘the way we’ve always done it’.
How Premiere Suites can help
As the largest provider of corporate housing in Canada, we know travel challenges. With more than 1500 furnished suites, homes and townhomes across Canada, plus a network of more than 10,000 more furnished residences, we’ve got accommodations to suit just about everyone – and our processes are designed to make travel managers’ lives easier!