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Businesses Adopt AI to Manage Global Travel Spending

New research shows companies are increasingly leveraging AI for travel bookings despite concerns over autonomous spending risks.

Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Business Travel

Isometric editorial illustration showing a sleek luggage tag and a geometric trajectory arc on a smooth surface, representing AI-managed travel logistics.
Organizations are increasingly relying on AI to manage corporate travel procurement, with experts projecting AI will oversee 37 percent of global spending by 2028. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you trust artificial intelligence agents to make autonomous spending decisions for a business?

Nearly all organizations identify risks in using artificial intelligence for travel procurement, yet a majority of leadership teams trust the technology to manage bookings. By 2028, experts project that AI will oversee 37 per cent of all corporate travel spending globally.

Why it matters

Companies are striving to balance the efficiency of AI-driven automation with the necessity of maintaining financial oversight. Implementing robust safeguards is the primary method businesses use to mitigate risks inherent in autonomous purchasing.

Current research indicates AI is expected to manage 37 per cent of global corporate travel spending by 2028. Large organizations with annual travel budgets exceeding USD 6.8 million currently task AI with managing 51 per cent of that spending.

The players

Conferma

Conferma is a financial technology company specializing in virtual card payment solutions for the corporate travel industry.

Global Business Travel Association

The Global Business Travel Association is a trade organization that represents the business travel industry and provides standardized research and market forecasting.

The details

Organizations currently rely on a combination of human approval processes, real-time monitoring, and spending limits to control AI financial authority. While virtual cards are used by 37 per cent of firms, that figure is expected to grow to 48 per cent as businesses define stricter usage parameters for autonomous systems.

Timeline

  1. Conferma released its research findings on October 26, 2026.

  2. The Global Business Travel Association released its spending forecast in 2025.

  3. Projections suggest AI will manage 37 per cent of corporate travel spend by 2028.

Travel Outlook

This shift towards autonomous procurement marks a fundamental transition in how global travel budgets are administered compared to traditional manual oversight. It builds upon the baseline set by the 2025 Global Business Travel Association spending forecast by quantifying the specific role of AI in future growth.

Travel managers should prepare for increased use of virtual card platforms and real-time monitoring tools when booking company trips. Employees may encounter stricter spending limits and mandatory human approval triggers on automated booking platforms as firms tighten security.

The takeaway

Businesses must prioritize the integration of human-in-the-loop safeguards to ensure AI tools remain aligned with corporate financial policy. Implementing specific virtual card controls now can help organizations prepare for the projected shift toward AI-managed travel procurement by 2028.

Further reading

For more on the changing landscape of corporate itineraries, visit our Business Travel section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by ETTravelWorld.

Live Poll

Do you trust artificial intelligence agents to make autonomous spending decisions for a business?