Corporate travel rebounds as a growth engine for 2026

Stronger demand highlights new expectations for hotel partners serving business travelers

Skift and Navan’s report, The State of Corporate Travel & Expense 2026, shows that corporate travel is returning with strength, and companies now see in-person meetings, client visits, and team gatherings as essential drivers of growth.

As businesses ramp up travel activity, they also express frustration with outdated booking and expense tools that slow down employees and reduce overall trip satisfaction. These challenges directly influence how travelers choose hotels — from policy compliance and rate competitiveness to service quality and real-time problem resolution.

For hoteliers, the report signals clear opportunities: deliver reliability, streamline the booking experience, and support the growing demand for group, meeting, and relationship-building travel.

Key takeaways

• Business travel demand is rising again: Ninety percent of travelers say business trips are essential, with strong emphasis on closing deals and maintaining client relationships — segments where hotel partners play a key role.
• Deal-making drives higher-value stays: Face-to-face sales activity has returned as a primary reason for travel, creating demand for dependable accommodations with strong business amenities and flexible booking options.
• Group and team travel is accelerating: Seventy-four percent of managers expect more team trips, meaning hotels that offer meeting space, smooth group coordination, and clear communication have a competitive advantage.
• Operational reliability matters more than ever: Flight disruptions and poor information flow are top traveler pain points, increasing the need for hotels to offer quick support, easy changes, and transparent communication.
• Travelers still book off-platform when hotel rates aren’t competitive: Many employees bypass corporate booking tools when they believe better prices or options exist elsewhere — reinforcing the need for hoteliers to maintain consistent rates and availability across channels.
• Group bookings remain surprisingly manual: Companies report that managing team trips is still a high-effort process. Hotels that simplify group requests, provide fast quotes, or offer automated solutions can capture more of this growing segment.
• Service quality impacts loyalty: Only 43% of travelers feel fully supported during trip issues, signaling an opportunity for hotels to differentiate through fast, empathetic, and accessible guest support.
• Better data usage shapes corporate decisions: Although companies believe they have real-time travel data, fewer than 40% actually leverage it for program improvements — making clean, usable hotel reporting formats more valuable for corporate buyers.
• AI-powered booking is becoming the norm: The report highlights how AI and NDC are speeding up trip planning and improving traveler satisfaction, suggesting that hotels should prepare for richer content, dynamic offers, and more automated servicing needs.

Download the full report at Skift

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