Younger business travellers are optimistic about AI’s role in the future of corporate travel, where a March 2025 global survey by Corporate Travel Management (CTM) of over 700 Millennial and Gen Z employees found that both generations anticipate AI will positively transform travel booking and in-trip experiences.
According to CTM’s sentiment check on Millennial and Gen Z business travellers in relation to artificial intelligence (AI), 41 per cent are excited about the use of AI in travel, while 31 per cent are concerned.
Overall, Millennial and Gen Z respondents expect AI to have a positive impact on booking speed (65 per cent); choice of travel products (61 per cent); and cost of travel products and services (60 per cent)
For a generation raised on tech, Gen Z surprisingly expressed equal excitement and concern relating to the use of AI in business travel (41 per cent each), compared to a more positive outlook amongst the slightly older Millennials where two-thirds (66 per cent) are excited about its potential and just 25 per cent are concerned.
With 59 per cent of global respondents indicating they book all their own travel, the demand for intuitive, self-service technology that enables anytime, anywhere access is accelerating.
CTM’s global chief technology officer, Joel Bailey, said: “Millennial and Gen Z travellers are going to be our future business decision-makers, so they are not just influencing the future of business travel, they are defining it. Their clear preference for digital tools and confidence in the benefits of AI are shaping how we evolve our technology roadmap…”
The research also highlighted website/online booking tools (71 per cent) and mobile app (52 per cent) as the top two most popular booking channel choices among Millennial and Gen Z travellers today, reflecting preferences for user-friendly, accessible booking solutions.
While websites/online booking tools are expected to remain in pole position for booking travel in the coming two years, their usage is expected to drop by three per cent (68 per cent). Notably, the preference for using mobile apps in the coming two years increases by six per cent (58 per cent). Asia (Singapore and Hong Kong) was the only region to prioritise mobile apps as its preferred booking channel over all other tools (66 per cent) in the coming two years.
