Business travel in 2026 will be entering a new era – one where the agenda is increasingly set by those on the front lines. Employees aren’t pushing back against travel itself; they’re asking harder questions: Is this trip worth my time? Will I be looked after? Does it support my work … and my wellbeing?
Smarter, more selective travel is now the name of the game. A flight every other week to attend a half-day lunch-and-learn? That’s increasingly hard to justify. Today, big isn’t necessarily better, more often means less, and being away from your desk now needs a solid reason.
This shift is driven by carbon budgets and travel costs, but there’s more to it. As the 2025 Deloitte Corporate Travel Study shows, today’s business travellers expect more purpose, better tech, less admin, and a whole lot more care.
Mummy Mafojane, GM of FCM South Africa, agrees. “The pandemic proved that remote collaboration works. Obviously, that’s not true for all sectors. Energy, mining and many others still need to move teams around the world but, in the main, corporate employees now expect business travel to clear a higher bar: demonstrable value, reasonable conditions, and respect for their time and wellbeing,” says Mafojane.
Big companies are shifting gears, cautiously
So, while business travel spend is up (Deloitte reports that three in four corporate travel managers reported bigger budgets this year), some big players are quietly pumping the brakes. Around 20% of companies spending more than US$7.5 million a year on business travel say they’re planning cuts, twice the number from 2024.
Even where budgets are stable or growing, trip frequency is going down. That’s especially true among frequent flyers. They’re not ditching their suitcases entirely, just skipping the third trip of the month. Because people have lives. And also, Teams exists.
“We’re seeing strong momentum going into 2026,” says Mafojane. “Our latest ‘State of the Market’ survey shows that 46% of companies in EMEA plan to increase their travel spend. This is up from 39% last year. At the same though, traveller experience reigns supreme, and we’re going to see more and more corporate policies that diversify, balancing cost control with quality experiences.”
According to Mafojane, flexibility remains essential, with organisations adopting more adaptive frameworks to accommodate shifting traveller needs.
People want less admin, more purpose, and they’re not wrong
Put simply, employees aren’t allergic to travel. They just want it to be worth the effort. Waking up at 4am, spending 10 hours flying to sit in a meeting that could’ve been an email isn’t winning anyone over, especially when they’re conscious of their carbon footprint and can video call from the comfort of their home office.
People want choice. They want control. And they’d rather not be treated like walking invoices. Beneath the spreadsheets and policies, your travellers are just people trying to do good work without losing their minds.
So, how does business travel become more bearable? Mafojane breaks it down.
Flexibility isn’t a perk. It’s the bare minimum.
Today’s employees want more say in how they travel, for good reason. It’s not about dodging policy; it’s about making it work for real life. That means better flight and hotel options, some wiggle room in the schedule, and yes, maybe tacking on a weekend now and then for a ‘bleisure break’ in a new destination.
“It’s not that difficult to accommodate a traveller’s needs,” says Mafojane. “You can widen property selection by adding favoured hotels or serviced apartments into your travel programme, update traveller profiles with preferred airlines and travel times, allowing traveller’s more say in their journey.”
Safe, sane, and not running on fumes
Employees want clear safety measures, support for their mental health, and policies that don’t treat constant travel like a badge of honour. Think rest between trips, time for family, and the kind of backup support that says, “We’ve got you,” not just “Good luck.”
“Business travellers are pushing for acknowledgment that constant travel takes a mental and physical toll,” says Mafojane. “This means creating policies that limit excessive travel, mandate rest periods between trips, and provide practical support for managing family responsibilities. Treating frequent travel as a status symbol rather than a burden has become a recruitment and retention risk.”
Tech that helps, not hassles
Business travellers are done struggling with clunky platforms and endless tabs. They want tech that just works: simple booking tools, mobile apps and chatbots that actually help, and real-time updates. Throw in instant, 24-hour travel support when things go wrong, and you’re speaking their language.
Make the trip make sense
If employees are hopping on planes for work, they want to know it’s worth it. Every trip should have a clear purpose – and the chance for some downtime. And if they have to stay productive, make it easy. That means good Wi-Fi, decent workspaces, and expense tools that don’t feel like a second job.
Better travel, fewer headaches
For Mafojane, business travel is evolving into something far more positive and intentional.
“Companies that recognise this shift have an advantage. They can build programmes that reduce unnecessary travel while improving the experience of trips that matter, creating systems and policies that employees trust rather than resent.”
