The global business travel market is experiencing a new round of innovations

Following COVID 19, signals of industry transformation are increasingly prominent. From the recovery of international airline routes to the surge in demand of Chinese companies expanding globally through to low-carbon travel and the rise of the bleisure (business + leisure) model, the market is shifting. Jonathan Kao, Managing Director of North Asia at BCD Travel, identified the key trends and opportunities in the business travel management market for the next three years.

Steady growth on the domestic market and rebound on the international market
The global business travel market is expected to maintain strong growth momentum in 2025. China’s domestic market is anticipated to grow by 7-8%, driven by the recovery of the service industry and the upgrading of the industrial chain, fueling demand for high-frequency short trips. On the other hand, the international market will benefit from the recovery of transatlantic airline routes and the restructuring of the supply chain, with growth rate potentially exceeding 10%. Notably, Southeast Asia airline routes have returned to pre-pandemic levels, while there remains a 20% growth potential for long-haul airline routes to Europe and North America.
“Business travel is essentially a barometer of economic activity,” Mr Kao noted, highlighting that the changing shape of the global economic landscape is driving companies to accelerate their international expansion. Key industries such as new energy and cross-border e-commerce are becoming the new drivers of growth for international business travel.

The rise in efficiency, sustainability and compliance
Corporate travel demand is shifting from a singular focus on cost control to multidimensional value integration. Green compliance is becoming a priority as European companies are requiring business travel suppliers to provide flight and rail carbon emission data, with the procurement of eco-certified hotels growing by 35% annually.
Digital compliance is another important factor. By 2025, electronic invoices will fully replace paper-based itineraries, and 70% of companies will list “automated reimbursement audits” as a core evaluation metric for TMCs.
There will also be restructuring of payment chain. As AirPlus withdrew from the Chinese market, the use of UATP cards and third-party cross-border payment tools has surged by 200% year-on-year.
“Whoever can solve the issues of efficiency, compliance, and sustainability will win in the next decade,” affirmed Mr Kao.

Whoever can solve the issues of efficiency, compliance, and sustainability will win in the next decade.

Three growth logics driven by Chinese companies going global
The new wave of Chinese companies expanding globally is reshaping the business travel service logic and has generated three new growth logics.
The first is customised solutions. Adapting to local compliance requirements such as overseas tax, visas, and security regulations.
The second is cost optimisation. Through centralised procurement, Chinese companies’ overseas business travel costs can be reduced by 12-15%.
Lastly, there’s management output. The agile response experience on the Chinese market (such as the 48-hour global emergency service network) has become a powerful tool for pioneering in emerging markets.
“It’s not about simply copying China’s domestic model. Rather, it is important to build cross-cultural travel management capabilities,” Mr Kao underlined.

Structural opportunities: How can small and medium TMCs break the deadlock?
Against the backdrop of increasing industry concentration, small and medium TMCs need to focus on “vertical + technology” to break the deadlock, according to Mr Kao. It is important to concentrate on specialised sectors. Service gaps exist for example in fields such as healthcare and research.
Regional penetration is also important. In China’s second- and third-tier cities, the digitalisation rate of promising companies’ business travel management is less than 40%.
Technology empowerment is another factor. Mr Kao outlined that AI-powered automated quotation systems can reduce 70% of manual operations, significantly improving ROI. “The future belongs to the ‘hidden champions’—companies that establish a clear efficiency advantage in niche markets,” he predicted.

---

The rapid rise of bleisure

The boundaries between business travel and leisure are rapidly blurring. Data shows that in 2024, 42% of business travellers actively extended their business travel time, adding an average of 2.3 days for leisure activities. Innovative supporting services, such as flexible extended stay packages saw a 58% increase, reflecting the shift in business travel consumption from being functional to value-driven. 

As low-carbon compliance becomes a key consideration factor, the demand of Chinese companies going global is reshaping the service chain, and bleisure is redefining product logic. The business travel sector is transitioning from highlighting scale expansion to focusing on value. For players in the business travel management market, the best way to seize opportunities in structural growth is to leverage technology to increase productivity and integrate resources with an ecosystem mindset.

---

---

商旅市场的格局重构与创新机遇

全球商旅市场正步入新一轮创新周期

疫情之后，从国际航线回暖到中国企业出海热潮，从低碳出行理念的普及到Bleisure（商务+休闲）模式的崛起，商旅行业的变革信号愈发清晰可见。BCD Travel北亚区董事总经理高思伟对未来三年的商旅管理市场趋势和增长机会进行了前瞻洞察。

双轮驱动：国内稳健增长，国际强势回弹
2025年，全球商旅市场有望保持强劲增长势头。中国国内市场预计增长7%-8%，服务业复苏和产业链升级带动了高频次短途出行需求；国际市场受跨大西洋航线恢复及供应链重塑驱动，增长有望超过10%。其中，东南亚航线已恢复至疫情前水平，欧美长线仍有20%的增长空间。“商旅本质上是经济活动的晴雨表，”高思伟指出，当前全球经济格局的变化正在促使企业加速全球布局，新能源、跨境电商等行业成为国际商旅新引擎。

价值跃迁：效率、绿色与合规并举
企业差旅正在从“成本优先”转向“效率、合规与可持续发展”协同驱动。绿色合规方面，欧洲企业要求差旅供应商提供航班与铁路碳排数据，环保认证酒店的采购量年增长达35%。数字合规方面，预计到2025年，电子发票将全面取代纸质行程单，70%企业将“自动报销审核”列为差旅管理公司（TMC）的核心考核指标。支付链也在重构——随着AirPlus退出中国市场，UATP卡及第三方跨境支付工具的使用量同比暴增200%。“谁能同时解决效率、合规与可持续问题，谁就掌握了下一个十年的入场券。”高思伟表示。

谁能同时解决效率、合规、可持续发展问题，谁就能拿到下一个十年的入场券。

中企出海重塑商旅增长逻辑：定制化、成本优、管理输出
中国企业的全球化浪潮正重构商旅服务逻辑，催生三大增量路径：其一，方案定制化，需契合海外财税、签证与安保等本地合规要求；其二，成本最优化，通过集中采购可降低海外差旅成本12%-15%；其三，管理输出，中国企业在本土积累的敏捷响应经验（如48小时全球应急服务体系）成为其拓展新兴市场的核心竞争力。“关键在于，不是复制国内模式，而是构建跨文化的商旅管理能力。”高思伟强调。

结构性机遇下，中小TMC的破局之道
在行业集中度不断提升的大背景下，中小型差旅管理公司（TMC）要打破困局，需聚焦“垂直+技术”两大方向：一是行业深耕，如医疗、科研等领域仍存在显著服务缺口；二是区域渗透，中国二三线城市中，腰部企业的差旅管理数字化率仍不足40%；三是技术赋能，例如AI自动报价系统可减少70%的人工操作，显著提升ROI。“未来属于那些在细分市场构建效率优势的‘隐形冠军’。”高思伟预判。

---

Bleisure兴起：从功能走向价值的消费迁移

商旅与休闲边界加速融合。数据显示，2024年42%的商务旅客主动延长差旅时间，平均增加2.3天用于休闲活动。支持性服务创新如“弹性延住套餐”使用率提升58%，反映了从“工具性”向“价值性”消费的转变。当低碳合规成为门槛，企业出海重塑服务链，Bleisure也正在重构商旅产品逻辑。行业正从规模驱动步入价值精耕阶段。对于TMC而言，唯有以技术突破效率边界、以生态思维整合资源，才能在结构性增长中占据一席之地。