Travel managers demand more: Research shows calls for intelligent solutions

Inconsistent service, poor functionality, and cost management drive travel managers to re-evaluate programmes

Direct Travel, Inc., a market leader in corporate travel management, along with the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), Spotnana, and TROOP, have released new research revealing a corporate travel industry under pressure. 

Based on responses from 195 global travel managers, The Perfect Trip Index: The State of the Managed Travel Experience highlights rising expectations and growing frustration with outdated systems.

The data shows that travel managers are raising the bar on what they expect from their travel management companies (TMCs) - citing inconsistent service (41%) and poor tech functionality (36%) as major friction points in need of improvement.

Key findings from the report included Online Booking Tools (OBTs) fall short with 64% report issues managing exchanges and cancellations and only 13% support self-service NDC changes.

Poor integration degrades service quality as 73% prioritise comprehensive global content; 63% want better integration between TMCs and OBTs for improved service continuity.

While travel and meetings programmes are disconnected. 80% are either siloed or only partially integrated, resulting in lost opportunities for savings and visibility.

Manual expense processes persist it revealed as 55% want automated receipt capture; 48% cite missing receipts and spend data as a reconciliation challenge. 

Finally, deemand grows for innovative planning tools as 62% seek centralised platforms to manage both meeting logistics and attendee travel and 45% want AI-powered search results.

“This is more than a wake-up call—it’s a signal that the future of managed travel is already taking shape,” said Christal Bemont, CEO of Direct Travel. 

“Travel managers want intelligent, connected solutions that meet today’s needs and anticipate tomorrow’s challenges.

"That’s exactly what we’re building with Avenir - a platform powered by leading partners like Spotnana and TROOP, designed to integrate global content, automation, and high-touch service into one seamless experience. 

"By combining smart technology with trusted support, we’re delivering the perfect trip from start to finish.”

Avenir Travel Edition is the first release of Direct Travel’s modern technology platform, built on Spotnana Cloud. 

The platform will continue to evolve through in-house innovation and industry collaboration, including future editions developed with premier partners such as Troop.

It has real-time self-serivce, data that drives action and built-in policy and control.