The rules of business travel have changed in 2025 (have you?)

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The rules of business travel have changed in 2025 (have you?)

Remember when business travel was all about quick flights to Joburg, endless expense reports, and racing between meetings? That world is vanishing fast.

As we kick off 2025, if you’re still running your corporate travel programme the same way you did last year, you’re already behind. Fresh research from FCM, surveying 562 global decision-makers, reveals an important shift in how companies approach business travel – and it’s challenging everything we thought we knew about corporate travel trends, especially in the South African context.

“Business travel is evolving significantly,” says Mummy Mafojane, Leader of Productive Operations for FCM. “While travel continues to drive business growth, how we approach it has shifted considerably.”

Trend #1: Stop counting trips; start measuring impact

Gone are the days when success was measured by how much a company spent or how many trips employees took. In 2025’s world of higher costs – with airfares expected to rise by 0.6% and hotel rates by 2.6% globally – South African companies are rethinking value over volume.

When more than half (63%) of business trips are dedicated to customer or stakeholder meetings, and connections drive revenue growth directly, every trip must prove its worth beyond its price tag.

“Ask yourself not just how much a trip costs but what it’s worth,” Mafojane urges. This mindset has ushered in zero-based budgeting: starting each year with a clean slate instead of simply adding inflationary adjustments to last year’s numbers. Every single trip is assessed based on measurable outcomes aligned with broader objectives like winning new sales or building relationships that matter most.

Trend #2: Healthy travellers = healthy ROI

Perhaps the most surprising revelation is how traveller wellbeing has quietly risen to become almost as important as policy compliance and cost management. It’s now a top priority in corporate programmes globally – including those in South Africa where health-conscious consumer behaviour closely mirrors this trend.

The shift is striking: nearly four out of ten organisations (39%) now prioritise traveller wellbeing almost as much as standard policy compliance measures (44%). But why does this matter? Because burnt-out employees don’t close deals effectively or represent brand values during critical client meetings overseas.

“Travel policies today must go beyond logistics,” explains Mafojane. “They should focus on creating sustainable patterns that protect employee health while meeting broader company goals.”

For instance: Companies are increasingly adopting smart scheduling practices like banning redeye flights unless unavoidable. They’re also allowing flexible return options so executives can decompress post-conference rather than rushing back into back-to-back calls upon landing home exhausted!

Trend #3: AI won’t replace you, but it sure makes travel smarter

While 77% of companies prioritise travel and expense management, the real story is how technology is being deployed to achieve this. The rise of AI isn’t about replacing human decision-making – it’s about enhancing it in ways we couldn’t have imagined five years ago.

Here’s what this looks like in practice: 58% of companies are now using AI for real-time disruption management, helping reroute travellers when flights are delayed or cancelled. Another 51% rely on AI tools to automate expense tracking, eliminating hours of tedious admin work. Meanwhile, predictive analytics is enabling 50% of organisations to optimise budgets by forecasting costs more accurately.

“AI is here to help, not take over,” Mafojane explains. “It frees up travel managers so they can focus on strategic decisions rather than administrative tasks.”

Trend #4: Not as green as we think

Here is where corporate travel hits a reality check. While sustainability dominates boardroom discussions and marketing materials, the numbers tell a different story. Only 26% of companies have formal carbon reduction targets, despite 32% claiming green travel as a priority. It’s the corporate equivalent of having a reusable coffee cup but driving to the café.

This gap between intention and action mirrors broader South African consumer behaviour, where 78% prefer energy-efficient solutions but often struggle with implementation. The challenge? Turning well-meaning environmental policies into realistic, measurable actions.

“The key is making sustainability practical,” Mafojane explains. “Companies are looking for ways to reduce their environmental impact without compromising business objectives – making every trip count environmentally as well as commercially.”

The solution isn’t in grand sustainability statements but in actionable steps: choosing direct flights over connections, selecting hotels with proven green credentials, and measuring the actual environmental impact of travel decisions. It’s time to move beyond the feel-good factor of sustainability promises and focus on measurable results.

Trend #5: Bleisure takes a back seat

For years, we’ve heard about the rise of bleisure (blending business and leisure), but recent data tells a different story entirely. While headlines might hype up employees extending work trips into personal holidays, the reality shows limited uptake:

  • 66% report less than a quarter of travellers add leisure components.
  • 24% say none at all incorporate bleisure elements into their trips.

So, what does this mean for South African businesses? It signals that flexibility needs rethinking beyond just offering leisure extensions during work trips. Instead, employee-centric policies should focus on providing seamless experiences within core business objectives first – whether that’s reducing stress through better itineraries or ensuring downtime after long-haul engagements abroad.

“What we’re seeing now,” explains Mafojane, “is smarter trip planning where productivity takes centre stage over optional extras.”

For example: Companies increasingly encourage multi-stop itineraries combining several meetings into one trip – cutting costs drastically while still delivering high-value outcomes efficiently across regions!

Looking ahead: What really matters

As we move further into 2025, it’s clear that the old rules of business travel no longer apply. Companies that succeed will be those willing to rethink how they approach corporate mobility by balancing cost management, employee wellbeing, sustainability, and technology adoption.

“The future of business travel won’t revolve around doing more with less – it will be about doing better with purpose. Organisations need to think differently in 2025 – measuring not just what their travel programmes cost but what they contribute overall: to company growth, employee satisfaction, operational efficiency, and environmental responsibility.”

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