Effective governance is a key factor for scaling AI in business travel, finds new Amadeus report | News
Effective governance is increasingly becoming a top priority for corporate travel managers as they work to build the trust needed for broader AI deployment.
That’s according to a new report released today by Amadeus, which highlights both current and emerging AI use cases and explores how new tools can help both business travelers and corporate travel managers.
Released today at the Business Travel Show in London, Orchestrate success believes AI is poised to fundamentally transform the role of the travel manager.
By automating repetitive tasks such as handling policy queries, approvals and disruption management, new AI-powered solutions can give travel managers the freedom to focus on forecasting, risk management and wellbeing, amplifying the value travel creates for organizations.
However, realizing this potential depends on building a trusted foundation. Organizations that combine innovation with strong governance, security and oversight will be best positioned to unlock the next generation of AI-powered business travel experiences.
“New AI capabilities are bringing the industry closer to a truly orchestrated travel experience, connecting bookings, policies, costs, disruption management and duty of care.
“Orchestrating Success shows how travel managers can leverage these innovations to become strategic leaders at the heart of travel programs,” said Mark Cullen, Chief Commercial Officer of Amadeus Cytric.
AI creates opportunities for travel managers to become strategists
Orchestrate success finds that AI’s biggest impact may be on the evolving role of the corporate travel manager.
Rather than acting as administrators of disconnected systems, they are increasingly positioned to become the orchestrators of their programs, combining AI-driven insight with human judgment to balance costs, compliance, duty of care and business outcomes.
As AI tools become more deeply embedded, travel managers will be better equipped to take a long-term view of travel strategy and play a more influential role within their organizations.
What will AI bring to business travelers?
The report shows that in the future, AI tools could bring together information from an entire trip to simplify the experience and give travelers the freedom to focus on the work itself. What could this look like?
- Travel intent detection: AI tools to recognize a trip in emails and calendars and proactively suggest the matching flights, hotels and transportation.
- Zero-touch travel: Bookings, payments, receipts and expense reports flow automatically between connected systems, so travelers rarely have to think about administration.
- Voice and hybrid bookings: Travelers manage trips by voice or text across mobile, desktop and collaboration tools, with any change reflected across all channels.
What’s next for business travel managers?
The report also highlights that the next wave of AI tools will give travel managers real-time control in natural language, turning policy management from a chore into a strategic lever. How?
- Dynamic policies: AI tools to monitor events, demand and disruptions in real time and recommend temporary policy adjustments as conditions change.
- Automated configuration: AI tools to read policy documents and automatically suggest system configurations, reducing implementation efforts while keeping a human informed.
- Sustainability integration: AI tools to include carbon impact in the booking decision and help managers align trips with sustainability goals and track progress.
More information
More information can be found in the full report, here.
