Apparently odd requests inform the real needs of business travellers
The business travel industry is growing, with 52% of companies planning to increase travel budgets in 2025, according to GBTA research. But it’s not just the number of trips increasing – it’s the expectations that come with them. Travellers want their work trips to align with their routines, priorities and the changing ways they approach work.
Travel managers are at the centre of these shifts. The requests they receive hold valuable insights into how business travel is evolving and where programmes and policies need to adapt. These aren’t just one-off asks – they’re signals about what matters to travellers.
So, what were people asking for in 2024? Travel managers’ stories highlight the trends shaping business travel and what companies can learn from them.
One traveller called their travel manager with an unusual request: a scale in their hotel room. It wasn’t for luggage. It was to track their weight as part of their fitness programme. This traveller wasn’t an outlier. More and more people are trying to stick to personal health goals while travelling for work, whether that’s through gym access, healthier dining options or simply maintaining balance. What this tells us about travellers: wellness matters. Travellers don’t want to leave their routines at home, and they expect business travel to accommodate their health as part of the experience.
How to adapt travel policies: personal goals are becoming a normal part of business travel. Companies should look at integrating wellness-friendly options into travel programmes. Choose hotels with gyms or health amenities and offer meal stipends that allow for healthier dining options. These details matter.
Specific preferences
Not all upgrades are welcome. One traveller declined a two-bedroom suite, saying it felt unnecessarily large for their solo trip. Another took extra steps to flag their airline meal requirements, saying they needed vegetarian food with no eggs or fish. What might seem overly specific is actually becoming more common. Travellers want their preferences to be understood, not as luxuries but as essentials for feeling comfortable and focused during their trips.
What this tells us about travellers: preferences, no matter how small, make a big difference in how supported travellers feel. The right meals, the right rooms – even the right itinerary structure – these details help build trust and reduce friction on the road.
How to adapt travel policies: take personalisation seriously by building smarter traveller profiles. Track preferences like room sizes, dietary needs and seating arrangements and update profiles regularly to make sure your programme stays relevant to each person.
Even experienced travellers can feel overwhelmed. One asked their travel manager if their 10pm flight time out of São Paulo was already ‘converted’ into the destination time zone. Another drove to the wrong London airport before frantically asking if the pilot could wait. These are examples of how travel stress or tight schedules can lead to logistical confusion, no matter how seasoned the traveller is
Schedules are overwhelming, and small details like flight times, terminal locations or airport choices add unnecessary stress if they aren’t made clear in advance.
How to adapt travel policies: clear communication solves most logistical frustrations. Automate reminders. Think airport terminals, updated flight times or even step-by-step directions for unfamiliar locations. Make life easier for your business travellers by reducing the need for constant clarifications.
A friendly voice
One traveller in London found themselves too overwhelmed to call their hotel’s front desk for luggage assistance. Instead, they phoned their travel manager in South Africa to help. On the surface, the request seems like overkill, but it highlights something all travellers face: stress.
What this tells us about travellers: it’s not just the big problems travellers want help with. Even small tasks can feel monumental when you’re tired, working late or far from home. Knowing someone is there to help is invaluable.
How to adapt travel policies: human-first support. Technology can handle bookings and reminders, but sometimes travellers need reassurance. Make sure your programme gives travellers access to real, empathetic assistance when they need it.
Text | Rategang Moroke
Photography | Estrada Anton
Rategang Moroke is Operations Manager at Corporate Traveller.
For more information, go to corporatetraveller.co.za.
