JOHANNESBURG – Remember when business travel was all about quick flights to Joburg, endless expense reports and competition between meetings? That world is fast disappearing.
As 2025 begins, if you're still running your company travel program the same way you did last year, you're already behind the curve. FCM's latest survey of 562 global decision-makers reveals important changes in the way companies approach business travel, and provides insight into corporate travel trends, particularly in the South African context. Everything we thought we knew has been upended.
“Business travel has evolved significantly,” says Mamy Mafojane, FCM's production operations leader. “Travel continues to drive business growth, but the way we approach travel has changed significantly.”
Trend #1: Stop counting your trips. Start measuring impact
Gone are the days when success was measured by how much money a company spent or how many trips its employees took. In a high-cost world in 2025, with global airfares expected to rise by 0.6% and hotel prices by 2.6%, South African businesses are rethinking value over quantity.
If more than half (63%) of your business trips are spent meeting with customers or stakeholders, and connections directly drive revenue growth, you need to prove that every trip is worth more than its price. .
“Ask yourself not just the cost of the trip, but the value of it,” recommends Mafojane. This thinking has led to zero-based budgeting, starting each year with a clean slate rather than simply adding inflation adjustments to last year's numbers. Every trip is evaluated based on measurable outcomes that align with broader goals, including generating new sales and building relationships that matter most.
Trend 2: Healthy travelers = healthy ROI
Perhaps the most surprising fact is that traveler health has quietly risen to become almost as important as policy compliance and cost control. This is now a top priority for corporate programs around the world, including programs in South Africa, where health-conscious consumer behavior closely reflects this trend.
The shift is significant, with nearly four in 10 companies (39%) now prioritizing traveler health almost as much as standard policy compliance measures (44%). But why is this important? Because burnt out employees are unable to effectively close deals and express brand values during meetings with important clients overseas. is.
“Today's travel policy must go beyond logistics,” explains Mafojane. “Companies must focus on creating sustainable patterns that protect the health of their employees while achieving broader corporate goals.”
For example: Companies are increasingly adopting smart scheduling practices, such as banning red-eye flights unless absolutely necessary. We also allow flexible return options, so executives can arrive home exhausted and decompress after a meeting instead of rushing back to back-to-back conference calls.
Trend #3: AI won’t replace you, but it will certainly make your travel smarter
77% of businesses prioritize managing travel and expenses, but the real story is how technology is being implemented to achieve this. The rise of AI will not replace human decision-making, but rather enhance it in ways that were unimaginable five years ago.
The actual situation is as follows. 58% of companies are now using AI for real-time disruption management to help reroute travelers when flights are delayed or cancelled. Additionally, 51% leverage AI tools to automate expense tracking and eliminate hours of tedious administrative tasks. Meanwhile, predictive analytics has enabled 50% of organizations to more accurately predict costs and optimize budgets.
“AI is here to help, not take over,” Mafojane explains. “This frees up travel managers to focus on strategic decisions rather than administrative tasks.”
Trend #4: We’re not as environmentally friendly as we think.
This is where the reality of corporate travel comes into question. Sustainability dominates board discussions and marketing materials, but the numbers tell a different story. Despite 32% claiming green travel is a priority, only 26% of companies have formal carbon reduction targets. In corporate terms, this is the equivalent of having a reusable coffee cup and driving to a cafe.
This gap between intention and action reflects broader consumer behavior in South Africa, where 78% prefer energy efficient solutions but often struggle to implement them. What is the challenge? Translating well-intentioned environmental policies into real and measurable actions.
“The key is to make sustainability practical,” explains Mafojane. “Companies are looking for ways to reduce their environmental impact without compromising business objectives, making every business trip both environmentally and commercially meaningful.”
The solution is not grand statements about sustainability, but choosing direct flights instead of connecting flights, choosing hotels that are proven to be environmentally friendly, and measuring the actual environmental impact of your travel decisions. and so on in the actionable steps. It’s time to move beyond the feel-good factor of sustainability promises and focus on measurable results.
Trend #5: Leisure takes a backseat
We've been hearing about the rise of breisure (the marriage of business and leisure) for years, but recent data tells a very different story. While headlines may hype employees extending work travel into personal vacations, the reality is that understanding is limited.
66% report that less than a quarter of travelers add a leisure component. 24% said they did not incorporate any leisure elements into their trips.
So what does this mean for South African businesses? This shows that they need to rethink their flexibility, and not just offer extended leisure time while on the road. Instead, employee-centric policies focus first on providing a seamless experience within core business objectives, such as reducing stress through improved itineraries or ensuring downtime after a long-distance assignment overseas. need to be focused.
“What we are seeing now is smarter travel planning, where productivity is valued over optional extras,” Mafojane explains.
For example: Companies are increasingly encouraging multi-destination itineraries that combine multiple meetings into one trip. This allows us to efficiently deliver high-value outcomes across regions while significantly reducing costs.
Looking to the future: What really matters?
As we move further into 2025, it is clear that the old rules regarding business travel no longer apply. Successful companies will be those willing to rethink how they approach corporate mobility, balancing cost control, employee benefits, sustainability, and technology adoption.
“Rather than revolve around doing more with less, the future of business travel will be about doing better with purpose.In 2025, organizations will We need to think differently by measuring not just our costs, but our overall contributions to growth, employee satisfaction, operational efficiency, and environmental responsibility.”
