Business travel tech still not meeting employee expectations

Business travelers continue to shun corporate booking tools, choosing consumer travel sites instead, according to new research.

The survey from expense management specialistCenter revealed that 61% of business travelers don’t use the booking tools provided to them. In addition, despite the fact that 88% of respondents reported having a written travel policy, almost half of respondents, 49%, said employees are unaware of them, which makes compliance challenging, the research said.

The report is based on responses from more than 200 finance leaders from mid-sized companies in the United States.

Center said the finding show that modern travel booking and expense booking technology that meets the expectations of employees, alongside training, would boost the adoption of corporate booking tools. The survey found that 68% of employees are unaware of the current technology or find it “cumbersome.”

It also highlighted the need for integrated travel booking and expense management tools to capture in out of policy spend and help drive compliance with travel programs.

There has been a recent trend towards travel management companies acquiring expense management specialists to create a more comprehensive offering. And, spend management specialists including Center have been forming partnerships with corporate travel booking technology providers.

Respondents to the study also listed a better experience for employees and centralized management of travel, expenses and corporate card programs as the top two priorities.

“Mid-market companies are planning to invest significantly in business travel this year, and the gap between corporate tool offerings and employee booking behavior highlights growing challenges in centralizing travel management,” said Naveen Singh, CEO of Center. 

He believes “a card-first approach” drives employees to comply with policy. 

“When employees can leverage corporate tools and get the consumer-grade convenience they’ve come to expect, businesses gain more control over spending,” he said.