Business travellers are redefining how they manage expenses on the road, blending a desire for comfort with practical cost-saving measures. But how do travellers spend their company’s money while travelling? Is there a new cost awareness? New data suggests that business travellers have two travel personas: one for work and another for vacation.
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| Source: SAP Concur landing page. Key visual for the 7th annual Global Business Travel Survey. |
SAP Concur's survey* of 3,750 business travellers in 24 markets, including 750 respondents from Australia, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore, has revealed that nearly half (45%) of business travellers in Asia Pacific region expect travel budgets to stagnate or decrease in 2025. A further 87% report cuts to allowances over the past year.
Research highlights about spending behaviour in 2025 include:
Travellers make the most of their travel allowance
Most business travellers (85%) have recently started taking steps to make ends meet at the end of a business trip – ranging from making sure not to overspend on daily allowances to making the most of freebies. About four in 10 (43%) eat cheaper meals in order to underspend on their per diem, while nearly a third (31%) prepare their own meals rather than dining out.
Some business travellers also benefit by taking leftover food and drinks (25%) and taking home complimentary amenities from hotels and conferences (27%).
There are generational differences: 96% of Gen-Z travellers take steps to make the most of their travel allowance, compared to 88% of Millennials and 75% of Gen X.
Travellers splash the cash on business trips
Different spending patterns apply on a business versus a private trip. Just over one in three employees (36%) opt for higher quality hotels or premium rooms when travelling for work, while nearly two out of five (37%) book direct flights, even if they’re more expensive. They’re also more likely to take private transport options, such as Uber rides (36%) and spend more dining in nicer restaurants (32%).
The generations most likely to adjust their spending behaviour are Gen Z (95%) and Millennials (89%), followed by 69% of Gen X.
Travellers will spend their own money on upgrades
Travel budget cuts are affecting the experienced travellers have on the road. While employees try to make the most of their travel policy, the majority of travellers (87%) are also willing to spend their own money to enhance a trip. Younger employees are more likely to invest in their experience, with 96% of Gen-Z and 91% of Millennial travellers willing to spend their own funds on upgrades, compared to 77% of Gen X.
Travellers will pay their way for perks including higher-quality accommodations (41%), an additional hotel night to avoid a long travel day (38%), and seating upgrades (37%). They are also willing to shell out for more sustainable travel options (29%), more expensive routes that avoid layovers or use their preferred airport (31%), or preferred airlines or hotels (32%).
Integrated travel management solutions offer companies the ability to define travel policies and set booking categories to guide booking behaviour. Friendly nudging with suggestions for cheaper or preferred providers with whom companies have negotiated particularly favourable terms can also help provide employees with the greatest possible convenience without paying exorbitant amounts.
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Get the 7th annual Global Business Travel Survey from SAP Concur at https://www.concur.com.sg/resource-centre/reports/7th-annual-global-business-travel-research-report
*The SAP Concur Global Business Travel Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research between April 30 and May 12, 2025, with 3,750 business travellers in 24 markets: the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg), Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Italy, Spain, ANZ (Australia, New Zealand), Middle East (UAE & KSA), Japan, Korea, India, Mexico, Brazil, SEA (Singapore & Malaysia), South Africa, Portugal, Switzerland, and Austria. In addition, 700 travel managers were interviewed across seven markets: Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan, ANZ, the UK, and the US. The research also covers the perspective of 600 CFOs across six markets: Germany, Canada, Japan, ANZ, the UK, and the US.
