2024 proved to be a steady year for business travel, with a majority of organizations reporting an increase in their travel spend compared to the previous year. With this post-pandemic stabilization grew a sense of cautious optimism and an increased focus on innovation. Notably, topics that highlighted the latest technologies or offered improvements to legacy systems were of particular interest for those within the corporate travel space.
As you prepare your travel program for the new year ahead, here are key insights for travel managers from our most popular articles throughout 2024.
Meet Spotnana: The Next-Gen Travel Infrastructure Behind Avenir
The need for tech-driven innovation in travel was a central theme at the 2024 GBTA Convention, especially as the Direct Travel team debuted Avenir, our next-gen travel tech solution. The announcement spurred great interest in the partners behind Avenir, including Spotnana. Travelers and managers alike wanted to know more about how Spotnana is building a modern infrastructure for the travel industry, and why their unique architecture enables greater growth and innovation. Heading into the new year, we encourage you to sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop with how Direct Travel and Spotnana are building travel programs fit for the future through Avenir.
Transforming Corporate Travel to Create The Perfect Trip
When travel tech visionary Steve Singh announced his acquisition of Direct Travel alongside a renowned group of investment partners, it reaffirmed the need to bring back simplicity and innovation to what has historically been a complex ecosystem. In 2024, there were questions about how the travel business currently works, and what problems affect customers, TMCs, and suppliers. A new travel stack is necessary to successfully transform the industry, and it needs to enable innovation from one company to connect with innovation from another. In 2025, expect to hear more as Avenir’s open, extensible platform continues to reimagine key elements of travel.
Key Insights from Steve Singh’s Podcast with GBTA
In 2024, interest continued to grow in tech advancements like AI-supported travel planning. Our Executive Chairman Steve Singh was ready to share his insights on the subject, this time on GBTA’s podcast, The Business of Travel. As Artificial Intelligence solutions continue to advance, expect to see increased instances of AI making the travel experience more pleasant. For travel managers concerned this will change the nature of their jobs, Steve reassured that rather than seeing AI as a disruptor, see it as a copilot to elevate their role. For those looking to embrace AI travel solutions going forward, a travel management company is an excellent resource to partner with to build on these benefits even further.
How Avenir Connects the Best Travel Technology with Even Better Service
The debut of Avenir came at an ideal time for travel managers who were searching for ways to remove frustrations and provide personalized experiences for their team. Travelers this year were eager for a streamlined tech solution that would allow them to make trip changes without jumping from platform to platform. But in the event they ran into a roadblock on their journey, it was crucial to still have the option to automatically speak with a human agent. In 2025, tech-forward solutions backed by high-touch service will strike the perfect balance to reimagine business travel.
Key Changes International Travelers Should Prepare For In 2025
Businesses planned for upcoming international travel changes this year, even as some launch dates got postponed. In late 2024 the UK successfully implemented the new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), which means non-European nationalities now need an ETA to travel to the UK. In the EU, a new Entry/Exit System (EES) is expected to launch in 2025 via a phased rollout. Many countries will also require the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), which is currently anticipated to go live after the upcoming EES launch. With multiple dates continuing to fluctuate into the next year and beyond, travelers can stay up to date by bookmarking this resource.
Full Speed Ahead for Business Travel
This year, rising budgets and interest in technology fueled organizations forward, and travel programs largely benefited from this growth mindset. The resources that were the most useful for busy travel professionals were those that focused on the importance of high-touch service paired with innovative tech solutions.
For the Direct Travel team, 2024 also ushered in the introduction of Avenir, our seamless solution for business travel, expense, and group meeting needs. With 2025 about to begin, count on hearing even more about Avenir’s advancements in the coming months.
Companies of all sizes can best prepare for the new year with a trusted partner by their side. To be the first to access our business travel forecast with 2025 predictions, sign up to receive our Trends Report for travel managers.