Business Travel Is Getting Smarter, More Selective, and More Human

What we heard at GBTA suggests corporate travel remains resilient, but hoteliers will need to work harder to earn their place in increasingly strategic travel programs

If I had to describe the mood coming out of the recent Global Business Travel Assn. (GBTA) Convention 2026 in two words, they would be “cautiously optimistic.”

Business travel continues to face its share of challenges. Geopolitical uncertainty, rising transportation costs, and changing trade policies are influencing how companies think about travel. But the conversations I had with travel managers, customers, and consultants were not about abandoning travel. They were about making it smarter, safer, and more purposeful.

That distinction matters for hoteliers.

Companies still recognize the value of getting employees on the road. What is changing is how carefully they evaluate where those travelers stay, how they book, what they pay, and whether their hotel partners are truly delivering value. For operators, the opportunity is there. But simply being included in a corporate travel program is no longer enough.

One of the strongest themes I heard at GBTA was that travel managers are becoming more selective about their hotel programs. Rather than maintaining long lists of preferred hotels that may receive very little actual business, companies are taking a closer look at production and concentrating volume among properties that have demonstrated they can perform.

In many cases, the mentality is becoming “less is more.”

Hotels showing little volume may be removed from a program, while properties with proven performance can potentially capture a larger share of the business. That makes relationships and execution increasingly important. Hoteliers need to understand the companies producing in their markets, communicate their value clearly, and demonstrate why they deserve to remain part of the preferred mix. Operating Hilton- and Marriott-branded hotels on behalf of owners in several markets, we see how differently the same account can produce from one hotel to the next. That is why production reviews belong at the property level, not only at the brand or portfolio level.

For hotel sales teams, this also means the conversation cannot end when a negotiated rate is accepted. We need to continually understand whether the account is producing, why travelers are choosing or not choosing the hotel, and what we can do to strengthen that relationship.

AI Is Already Influencing Travel Decisions

It would be difficult to attend any business conference today without talking about artificial intelligence, and GBTA was no exception. Several breakout sessions were dedicated entirely to AI.

What stood out to me was that companies do not necessarily need sophisticated AI embedded into every travel platform to begin benefiting from it. Travel managers are already using AI to analyze data, identify patterns, understand traveler behavior, and help inform decisions. Booking and payment technologies also continue to evolve, making it easier for organizations to manage increasingly complex travel programs.

For hoteliers, this should be an important signal.

The decisions surrounding preferred hotels are becoming more data driven. Our performance, pricing, guest satisfaction, and ability to remove friction from the travel experience all become part of that picture. AI may be getting attention, but ultimately, it is helping companies answer a very human question: Are we making the right travel decisions for our people and our organization?

Another encouraging takeaway was that companies continue to invest in their travel programs. However, they are doing so thoughtfully rather than simply expanding for the sake of growth.

Organizations are looking for ways to improve employee adoption, strengthen compliance, and make travel programs easier to use. Compliance is particularly important because it is about much more than controlling costs.

When employees book through approved platforms, companies know where their travelers are. In the event of a geopolitical crisis, natural disaster, or other emergency, that visibility can be critical to locating employees and helping them leave an affected city, country, or region.

Duty of care was a significant topic throughout GBTA, and understandably so given what is happening around the world. For hoteliers, safety can no longer be treated primarily as a behind-the-scenes operational function. It is part of the value proposition we provide corporate customers and their travelers.

Pricing was another important part of the conversation. There continues to be broad support for dynamic pricing. Static negotiated rates remain important for many accounts, but customers and consultants generally understand today’s market realities and appear willing to accept reasonable year-over-year increases.

That does not mean that prices are becoming less important. Quite the opposite. Corporate customers are looking closely at value. Hoteliers need to be able to explain their pricing while demonstrating what the traveler receives in return. This is where alignment between revenue management and sales becomes essential. In a management company, that means the hotel’s sales leader and the revenue strategist supporting the property work from the same account data and the same view of long-term value, rather than negotiating against each other. Winning corporate business is not simply about offering the lowest rate. It is about finding the right balance between rate, availability, traveler needs, and long-term account value.

Service Still Wins

With all the discussion around technology, AI, data, and pricing, one of my favorite takeaways from GBTA was also one of the simplest: service matters.

Travelers want a seamless experience. They want check-in to be easy. They want virtual credit card payments to work properly. They want to feel safe. They want hotels to recognize their preferences and, increasingly, support their overall wellness while they are traveling.

These details may sound basic, but when someone travels frequently for work, friction adds up quickly.

Recognition also plays a bigger role in building loyalty. Business travelers want to feel valued, especially when they return to the same hotel or brand frequently. Guest messaging platforms can help hotels make those interactions more personal, while status matches and targeted property promotions give travelers additional reasons to choose a hotel again. The goal is not simply to recognize loyalty, but to turn that recognition into a more relevant and rewarding stay.

Technology can help us recognize the guest, but technology alone does not create hospitality. What matters is what we do with the information.

A returning traveler who is recognized, welcomed, and understood has a very different experience from someone who feels like another room number.

The Opportunity for Hotels

My biggest takeaway from GBTA is that corporate travel remains an attractive opportunity, but earning that business is becoming more complex. Travel managers are consolidating hotel programs. They are using more data. They are embracing AI. They are scrutinizing pricing. They are focusing heavily on compliance, safety, and duty of care. And they are listening to what their travelers say about the actual hotel experience.

That raises the bar for operators.

For a third-party management company like Hospitality America, that is an opportunity. Hotel operations and sales can no longer function in separate lanes when pursuing business travel. Sales may open the door, but the guest experience determines whether travelers want to return and whether an account continues to grow.

The hoteliers who succeed will be the ones who connect those pieces. For those of us operating hotels on behalf of owners, it is also a matter of stewardship. A productive corporate account is part of the value of the assets we have been entrusted to manage.

Business travel is becoming more intentional. And as companies become more selective about where they send their travelers, hoteliers need to give them compelling reasons to be included in their travel programs.

About the Author

Kellie Hanselman is Vice President of Sales for Hospitality America, a Greenville, S.C.-based third-party hotel management and consulting company that operates Hilton- and Marriott-branded hotels on behalf of owners. With more than 19 years in full-service and luxury hotel sales, Hanselman leads the company’s portfolio of property sales leaders. She infuses property teams with fresh ideas and industry best practices while staying firmly aligned with Hospitality America’s vision. Her career includes sales leadership roles at Waldorf Astoria Park City, New York Hilton Midtown, and the Hilton Minneapolis. Hospitality America is a winner of USA Today’s Top Workplaces award for 2024, 2025, and 2026.