Radical Collaboration Must Propel the Future of Business Travel

Radical collaboration is the only way forward to deliver what’s next and best for the global business travel industry in 2024.

We know we can do it because we’ve already done it once: In the face of a worldwide pandemic, our industry came together in ways we never imagined we would or could to successfully navigate the fallout, and I would argue we are stronger for doing so. That strength will be critical as we chart our next path forward. We may now have different challenges—and opportunities—but gone are the days when solo or siloed efforts in pockets of the travel ecosystem will be good enough to lay the foundations of the future.

Radical collaboration will involve the entire travel ecosystem: buyers, suppliers, TMCs, tech, governments and travelers. An elevated approach to collaboration will be crucial in shaping a productive, impactful and sustainable industry.

Here are four areas where the global business travel industry can employ radical collaboration in 2024 and beyond:

• Accelerating Progress in Climate Action –The keyword here is harmonization—of standards, priorities and solutions to make progress together. 
  
  Some examples of radical collaboration already in action include the Hospitality Alliance for Responsible Procurementand the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance. Additional efforts underway include virtual power purchase agreements in the brick-and-mortar energy space, and open-source models and data sharing for emissions calculation, such as the Travel Impact Model from Google, shared with its competitors via Travalyst. 

• Thriving Amid Technology Disruption – Next-generation technologies including artificial intelligence will drive our industry to optimize distribution, service, policy and reconciliation challenges in bold new ways. Collaborative efforts among travel agencies, suppliers and technology companies can lead to the development of better integrated platforms that streamline the travel process, including seamless and efficient booking experiences, rate access, recommendations, virtual assistance and real-time updates. 
  
  As an example, American Express Global Business Travel is working closely with customers, airlines and tech partners to create the Minimum Marketable Product to support New Distribution Capability content. MMP has resulted in improved API functionality, in particular around servicing, within a successful pilot for customers booking NDC content with Air France-KLM.
  

• Building Tomorrow’s Talent Today – Industry players have the opportunity—and even responsibility—to look at both how they are bringing new talent into their organizations and reinforcing that corporate travel is a great field of work.
  
  An example of how radical collaboration can make in-roads is the GenderFair Coalition which has created a rating system based on the Unite Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles. It brings together the corporate buyer and supplier to align with the Women’s Empowerment Principles to achieve gender equity in the workplace. Additionally, we see radical collaboration at work in the public-private alliance on the future of the workforce from BCD Travel, which in addressing its own workforce shortage has partnered with the U.S. Department of Defense in the Military Spouse Employment Program, employing a pool of talent with a recent high unemployment rate. 
  
  
• Advancing the Traveler Experience – Radical collaboration is a must-have for an industry where ultimately all roads lead to the same goal: providing productive travelers with a great travel experience. One example to highlight is the work within the European Union around multimodality policy—intending to make it easier for travelers to connect many modes of transportation within the booking, journey and reporting process. Within the legislative process, competitors and collaborators from across the travel ecosystem, along with GBTA, are partnering to help create a seamless traveler experience within the European landscape and beyond.

Education, advocacy and partnering with a common purpose and commitment are critical elements for radical collaboration to have a true impact.

There will always be different—and sometimes opposing—views between the buy and supply sides of the industry (and even within those categories). But that mustn’t stop us from talking. Especially in areas where we don’t agree, by working together we can re-engineer the travel ecosystem through its globalization, governance and partnership challenges to elevate traveler experience and productivity, and ensure equitable benefits for all.

Afterall, the future of business travel—and likely travel overall—depends on us to get the groundwork established for a healthy industry in 2024 and beyond.