HR teams should work with finance colleagues and frequent travellers to make business travel policies practical, as a survey of corporate travel buyers suggests budgets will face further pressure in 2027.
Research from Business Travel Show America found that 45% of 204 corporate travel buyers surveyed in June 2026 expected their organisation’s travel spending to rise in 2027 compared with 2026. Almost half (49%) said costs were in line with expectations, while 30% said they were significantly above expectations.
The supplied research does not specify the geographical composition of the sample. The figures should therefore not be treated as a representative measure of UK employers.
Design rules around how people actually travel
Chloe Carver, Head of Corporate Travel Consulting at Acquis Consulting, recommends involving HR, finance, accounts payable and regular travellers in policy design. The aim is to balance clear rules with enough flexibility to handle legitimate business needs.
“A policy that isn’t enforceable or has never actually been enforced is hard to then start enforcing.”
Chloe Carver, Head of Corporate Travel Consulting, Acquis Consulting
Her guidance also highlights the need to explain the reasons behind rules, align booking and expense tools, and check that the options employees are expected to book are actually available.
Why it matters for HR
A travel policy affects employees’ time, working arrangements and experience as well as cost. Clear approval routes and realistic booking options can reduce confusion and help managers apply the policy consistently.
Rather than introducing rules in isolation, HR teams can use feedback from people who travel regularly to identify where the process creates avoidable friction.
Further information on the event and its HR programme is available from Business Travel Show America.
Photo: Gustavo Fring / Pexels. Illustrative stock image.
