A recent survey conducted by BCD Travel reveals the evolving role of travel managers, who are increasingly taking on strategic responsibilities and navigating a complex landscape of challenges and opportunities.
The survey, which polled 187 travel buyers worldwide, highlights the expanding scope of travel managers’ duties.
Their roles have since expanded to include travel sourcing (68%) and payment and expense management (51%), with some taking on procurement or management tasks beyond travel.
Their biggest time investments go into managing TMC relationships (53%), followed by working on travel programme strategy and communicating with travellers (47% each), as well as reporting and managing suppliers (44% each). In recent years, priorities have shifted toward cost control, data analysis, industry changes (such as NDC) and technology.
To measure programme success and prove its value to the C-suite and other stakeholders, travel managers prioritise quantifying savings, aligning travel strategy with corporate objectives and sharing KPIs.
Stakeholder interaction
Travel managers collaborate the most with finance and procurement teams, with 58% engaging with procurement and 43% connecting with finance daily or weekly. Cross-departmental collaboration is on the rise, with 71% of travel teams involved in multi-departmental projects, reflecting an expanded, strategic role in company-wide initiatives. In the past years, engagement with finance, sustainability, and security teams has increased the most, aligning travel management with cost control, environmental responsibility and duty of care.
“This survey reflects just how essential travel managers are becoming to organisational success,” said Jorge Cruz, executive vice president of global sales & marketing at BCD. “They’re managing complex stakeholder relationships, driving sustainability and making data-informed decisions that align with broader business goals…”
Travel teams and reporting structure
Over two-thirds of travel teams report to procurement (39%), finance (19%) or HR (11%), underscoring
the close alignment between travel management and corporate budgeting functions. A third have between four to six people in their travel team globally, while a quarter operate with more than 10 team members. Nearly half (46%) use the service of external consultants to help manage their travel programmes, highlighting the need for outside experts.
Tools and job satisfaction
While six out of 10 travel managers feel they have the necessary tools to do their job, many face budget constraints, with 46% lacking budget for travel technology and services. Despite these challenges, travel managers are most satisfied with their authority level, stakeholder support and work-life balance, though career development remains an area for improvement.
