Corporate Travel Policies Strengthen, Modernize and Embrace AI─While Opportunities Remain for Improving Accessibility, Policy Clarity and Compliance

New research from GBTA and ALTOUR reveals meaningful progress but also persistent gaps in North America business travel programs

Corporate travel policies across the U.S. and Canada are showing significant positive momentum: companies are sharpening policy clarity, enhancing the employee traveler experience through technology, and strengthening compliance frameworks. At the same time, travel programs continue to face important opportunities for improvement - and a shift away from lengthy, complex policies of years past - including more inclusive and AI-enabled guidance, clearer processes for non-employee travel, and better traveler education around policy basics.

These findings come from a new report, The State of Corporate Travel Policies: U.S. and Canada 2025, released today by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) in partnership with leading global travel management company, ALTOUR. The research examines how today's corporate travel programs are evolving to better serve both organizations and their employee travelers. Additionally, GBTA and ALTOUR will be hosting a webinar on the topic on March 26.

"Travel policies are evolving in a way that reflects today's realities and responsible travel decisions. This research shows organizations are evolving through technology and reassessing their policies through a more inclusive lens, along with strengthening the traveler experience. At the same time, the gaps identified in the research gives our industry a roadmap for continued improvement," said Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA.

Gabe Rizzi, President of ALTOUR said, "Travelers want clarity, flexibility and a support system that helps them stay in policy-and companies want visibility and consistency. Travel policies have been too complex for too long. There is a clear opportunity for AI to distill key details and improve compliance. This study shows that when travel programs simplify communication, embrace technology and create policies that reflect traveler needs, everyone wins."

Based on an online survey of U.S. and Canadian travel managers, the study highlights a marketplace in transition ─ one making meaningful progress while acknowledging areas still in need of modernization.

A Clear Movement Toward More Structured Policies

One of the most prominent findings is the shift toward a stronger policy structure.

• Nearly one-third of travel managers (32%) report that their company's travel policy is stricter today than it was three years ago, while only 5% say theirs has become more lenient.
  
• Currently, policies remain long and complex: 51% of travel policies exceed 10 pages, and almost one quarter (24%) run longer than 20 pages. Only 14% of travel managers say their policies have gotten shorter in the past three years.
  
• The most common reason cited for employees to break travel policy? Simply because they haven't read or aren't familiar with the rules, according to almost a third (32%) of buyers.

AI Emerges as a Powerful Tool for Simplifying Policy Education

Companies are looking for modern, intuitive ways to deliver guidance ─ an effort that could meaningfully reduce out-of-policy behavior and improve the overall travel experience.

• The enthusiasm for tech-enabled support is unmistakable: 64% of travel managers express interest in AI-generated video explainers that summarize key policy elements.

Progress and Ongoing Challenges in Booking and Hotel Compliance

When employees book independently, it becomes more difficult for travel programs to ensure travelers use preferred or compliant hotel options. Organizations are striving to strengthen both expectations and enforcement ─ and that technology and clearer communication are becoming essential to driving improvement.

Booking outside required channels remains the single largest compliance issue, reported by 35% of respondents.

• In fact, 28% cite out-of-policy hotel stays as a major challenge. Payment, air, and meal compliance issues still exist but are less prominent.

Accessibility and Inclusive Guidance: A Recognized Area of Opportunity

The study reveals that while inclusion and accessibility are gaining attention, most policies still fall short of providing robust guidance.

• Only 13% of travel managers say their policies strongly address accessibility needs.
  
• Similarly, just 19% report clear guidance for diverse traveler groups, such as LGBTQ+ employees or women, who may face discrimination or unique safety concerns on the road.

Managing Non-Employee Travel Remains a Common Pain Point

Lack of structure in employee travel policies creates risk, inconsistencies, and administrative challenges. The trend, however, is moving toward more formal documentation and centralized processes, which can help reduce confusion for both travelers and travel teams.

• Travel by non-employees presents ongoing complexities. The study shows that 26% of companies still manage "guest" travel ─ such as travel for job candidates, interns, or clients ─ on a case-by-case basis, without specific guidance.

A Mixed Picture Across Air, Lodging, Meals, and Ground Transportation

Across travel categories, the research paints a nuanced picture:

• Air Travel: Premium Economy has become a staple, with 64% of policies at least sometimes allowing it, while 58% of companies never allow Basic Economy. Business Class is permitted at least sometimes in 64% of for-profit companies, most often for flights of 5 to 6 hours or more.
  
  
• Amenities: Policies sometimes allow traveler friendly amenities but could differ based on the organization. For instance, 52% allow airline seat selection at company expense.
  
  
• Lodging: Half of companies (53%) prohibit homesharing through platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, though smaller organizations tend to be more flexible. Only 30% set hotel per diems or rate caps, while 46% advise employees simply to book "reasonably priced" hotels, a vagueness that can contribute to compliance issues.
  
  
• Meals: Three-quarters of companies (75%) set either per diems or spending limits for meals, with spending limits being more common (53%) than fully reimbursed per diems (21%).
  
  
• Ground Transport: While 51% of companies allow car rentals in every scenario, 33% now encourage rideshares, taxis or public transportation in certain scenarios, a shift reflecting urban mobility trends and traveler preferences.

Methodology
The report findings are based on an online survey of 168 corporate travel managers in the U.S. and Canada conducted November 19-December 10, 2025.

For more information and to access the full report, The State of Corporate Travel Policies: U.S. and Canada 2025, visit the web page here.

For more information and to register for the March 26 webinar, click here.

To find out more about GBTA Research, visit the web page or contact [email protected].

About GBTA
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world's premier business travel and meetings trade organization serving stakeholders across six continents. GBTA and its 9,000+ members represent and advocate for the $1.57 trillion global business travel and meetings industry. GBTA and the GBTA Foundation deliver world-class education, events, research, advocacy, and media to a growing global network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts. For more information, visit GBTA.org and GBTAFoundation.org.

About ALTOUR
ALTOUR is a globally recognized leader in corporate travel management dedicated to managing the complexities of connecting people so they can represent their brands in the most impactful way possible. With a presence in over 90 countries, ALTOUR's approach is defined by the belief that there's a "better way" to handle travel - smarter, faster, easier, and more tailored to each client's needs. As part of the Internova Travel Group, the highest-ranking American corporate travel management company according to Business Travel News, ALTOUR combines global reach with local insights to maximize the value of every business interaction. For more information, please visit our website at altour.com or follow us on LinkedIn.