Business Travel Buyers Turn to Community and TMCs as Technology Frustrations Surge Across the Industry

Tuhin Sarkar

Image generated with Ai

Corporate travel buyers across North and South America continue to draw their greatest confidence from peer connections and strong TMC relationships, while technology frustrations remain a more significant concern than workload pressures, according to new research released ahead of Business Travel Show America 2026.

The findings suggest that the modern business travel sector remains fundamentally people-driven, with community, collaboration and trusted support networks playing a central role as companies navigate changing travel requirements, tourism trends, technology adoption and growing duty-of-care responsibilities.

Why Do Business Travel Buyers Value Community So Highly?

New research from Business Travel Show America, based on responses from 204 corporate travel managers, buyers and bookers across North and South America, found that 38.31% most strongly identified with loving the business travel community and enjoying networking with peers, making community engagement the leading positive sentiment in the survey.

The result highlights how professional relationships have become an important source of knowledge and resilience in travel management, particularly as buyers handle increasingly complex travel programmes, supplier relationships, traveller expectations and the wider economic pressures influencing corporate travel and tourism.

The second strongest positive response came from buyers who felt supported by their travel management company, with 28.86% saying their TMC felt like an extension of their own team, demonstrating the continuing strategic importance of close buyer-TMC partnerships.

Meanwhile, 24.38% said they felt confident that their organisations looked after travellers well, indicating that despite continuing disruption across global travel, many corporate travel professionals believe their programmes are delivering meaningful protection and support.

Is Technology Now the Biggest Frustration for Corporate Travel Buyers?

Technology emerged as the most frequently cited negative issue, although fewer than one-quarter of respondents selected it, with 23.88% saying they were frustrated by the technology they had to use while managing corporate travel programmes.

The finding underlines a major challenge for the travel industry, as organisations increasingly invest in digital booking tools, expense platforms, data systems and distribution technology but still face difficulties around usability, integration, content access and operational efficiency.

Duty of care followed closely, with 22.39% saying they felt responsible for their travellers’ welfare and that this responsibility had become particularly heightened under current global circumstances, reflecting the substantial human and operational responsibilities attached to managing business travel.

However, the research also provides a relatively encouraging picture of workforce pressure, as only 16.92% said they felt under-resourced and overworked, meaning fewer than one in six respondents identified resource constraints as their strongest negative concern.

What Does the Research Reveal About the Buyer-TMC Relationship?

The figures show that the relationship between buyers and TMCs remains one of the strongest pillars of the corporate travel ecosystem, particularly when travel managers require specialist support, supplier expertise, traveller assistance and help responding to disruption.

At the same time, the industry is entering a period of reassessment, with content visibility, commercial models, accountability and technology distribution continuing to reshape expectations between buyers and their travel management partners.

Louis Magliaro, Executive Vice President of the BTN Group, said the results told a human story about corporate travel management, showing that the profession was finding strength through its people even as frustrations surrounding systems, structures, workload and responsibility continued.

He also emphasised that buyers appeared to value one another significantly, with the wider community performing substantial mutual support and problem-solving that makes professional events increasingly important for knowledge sharing across travel and tourism.

How Will Business Travel Show America Address These Challenges?

Business Travel Show America will return to the Javits Center in New York on October 14 and 15, 2026, bringing together corporate travel buyers, procurement professionals and industry suppliers to discuss issues including cost management, technology adoption and traveller duty of care.

The programme includes a buyer-only BTN Community session on Technology and Distribution on October 14, giving corporate travel managers an opportunity to examine the changing technology landscape, exchange practical experiences, seek feedback and discuss difficult questions with peers.

A panel on October 15 will examine whether collaborative innovation can reshape the buyer-TMC relationship, focusing on how forward-looking travel programmes are reconsidering traditional expectations around transparency, content access, incentives and accountability.

These discussions could prove increasingly relevant as the business travel and tourism sectors continue to demand greater flexibility, stronger technology performance and more collaborative partnerships capable of supporting travellers across a rapidly changing international environment.

Why Does Community Matter for the Future of Travel Management?

The research demonstrates that corporate travel management is not solely dependent on platforms, policies and procurement processes, because peer expertise and trusted professional relationships remain essential when organisations need to interpret challenges and make informed decisions.

For the wider travel and tourism industry, this human dimension may become even more valuable as technology accelerates, with successful programmes likely to depend not simply on automation but on combining digital efficiency with experienced professionals who understand travellers and operational realities.

“These findings show that the future of business travel will be shaped as much by human connection as by technology, because strong communities, trusted TMC partnerships and shared expertise give travel buyers the confidence to manage change and protect travellers effectively. It is especially encouraging that so many professionals value networking and collaboration, demonstrating the remarkable strength of the global travel community. As the tourism and corporate travel landscape becomes more sophisticated, industry events will remain vital spaces where innovation meets practical experience, partnerships deepen and decision-makers discover solutions that can create smarter, safer and more resilient travel programmes for businesses worldwide,” said Anup Kumar Keshan, Editor-in-Chief, Travel And Tour World.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main finding of the Business Travel Show America research?

The survey found that 38.31% of corporate travel buyers most strongly value the business travel community and peer networking, making it the leading positive sentiment among the 204 respondents.

How important is TMC support to corporate travel buyers?

TMC support was the second most popular positive response, with 28.86% of respondents saying their travel management company felt like an extension of their own team.

What is the biggest frustration identified by respondents?

Technology was the leading negative concern, with 23.88% of buyers saying they were frustrated by the technology they had to use.

How many business travel buyers feel under-resourced and overworked?

Only 16.92% selected being under-resourced and overworked, meaning fewer than one in six respondents identified this as their strongest negative concern.

When and where will Business Travel Show America 2026 take place?

Business Travel Show America will be held on October 14-15, 2026, at the Javits Center in New York, bringing together travel buyers, procurement professionals and industry suppliers.