GBTA Research Finds AI, Hotel Distribution Gaps and Fragmented Travel Programs Hinder Perfect Business Trip, Highlighting New Challenges in the Travel Tech Sector

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In collaboration with Spotnana, Marriott International, and Direct Travel, the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) has unveiled research revealing the gaps in the adoption of technology and the use of AI and other technologies, which is impeding efforts towards achieving the goal of the “Perfect Business Trip.” This finding is derived from a survey conducted in March 2026 in the United States, Canada, and Europe of corporate travel buyers.

According to the findings of the survey, although innovations like AI can change the way corporate travel is done, there are several obstacles in the path towards making that happen.

Artificial Intelligence: Strong Interest, Early Adoption

Although 58% of travel buyers report that AI has had little or no impact on their travel programs, there is strong interest in AI-driven solutions to improve efficiency and traveler experience. Key areas include:

• Predictive analytics for travel spend forecasting (92%)
• Automated disruption management and rebooking (89%)
• AI-powered traveler support (85%)
• Conversational booking experiences (83%)

Travel buyers are generally comfortable with AI in managed travel tasks, such as recommending negotiated rates and generating reports, but adoption is uneven in areas like calendar-based booking recommendations and automated changes or cancellations. This signals a market opportunity for travel tech providers to deliver solutions that integrate AI across data, booking, and operational platforms.

Fragmented Travel Programs Challenge Tech Integration

Global corporate travel programs face ongoing technology fragmentation:

• 61% of buyers report difficulty managing multi-region travel programs.
• Only 12% have a consolidated view of their program from a single data source.
• Top challenges include lack of consolidated reporting (63%), inconsistent traveler support (60%), and managing multiple TMC relationships (52%).

This fragmentation underscores the need for travel tech solutions that provide integrated, end-to-end visibility, combining policy, data, and service management into unified platforms.

Hotel Distribution: Emerging Models Drive Tech Innovation

Hotel distribution continues to evolve with next-generation retailing models that emphasize flexibility, transparency, and personalization. Key findings from the survey:

• 72% of buyers cite traveler access to cheaper options outside managed channels as a primary pain point.
• 51% of buyers believe attribute-based hotel shopping would improve booking experiences.
• Buyers are interested in booking add-ons—breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, parking—directly within OBTs or TMC platforms.

These insights highlight opportunities for travel tech vendors to deliver advanced booking platforms that consolidate content, streamline transactions, and improve user experience, while enabling better program oversight and spend management.

Travel Tech Sector Impact

The study illustrates several ways the travel technology sector is affected:

• Acceleration of AI solutions: Demand for predictive analytics, automated rebooking, and AI traveler support is expected to drive investment in new technology platforms.
• Integration of fragmented systems: Vendors offering consolidated dashboards and end-to-end travel program management solutions can capture a growing corporate market.
• Innovation in hotel retailing technology: Platforms enabling personalized hotel selection, pricing transparency, and add-on management will shape future booking behavior.
• Economic opportunity: Streamlined technology and AI adoption can reduce operational costs, improve compliance, and enhance traveler satisfaction, creating value for both corporations and technology providers.

Outlook: Transforming Business Travel Through Technology

GBTA’s research emphasizes that the “Perfect Business Trip” depends on travel tech innovation. Fully realizing this vision requires:

• Wider AI adoption across travel programs for forecasting, support, and automation.
• Integrated global data platforms to eliminate fragmentation and improve program visibility.
• Next-generation hotel distribution systems to provide flexibility, transparency, and personalized experiences.

For the travel technology sector, these gaps represent significant market opportunities to develop solutions that support corporate travel efficiency, traveler satisfaction, and global program scalability. Successful implementation will strengthen business travel programs, hospitality partnerships, and the broader travel ecosystem.

Technology as a Catalyst for Travel Sector Growth

While the travel business sector is in a state of transition, the study underscores that the presence of technological gaps is still an impediment towards achieving optimization. For companies providing technologies for travel purposes, the ability to overcome the problem of AI implementation, data integration, and contemporary hotel retailing should prove vital to the continued success of the industry.