What are travel buyers prioritising for FY27?

As organisations begin planning for FY27, business travel is moving into a more strategic phase. 

Travel buyers are being asked to achieve more with every journey: control costs, support growth, protect employees, meet sustainability commitments and deliver a smoother experience. At the same time, global disruption, changing traveller expectations and advances in technology are making corporate travel programmes more complex to manage. 

So, what are travel buyers prioritising for FY27? 

Value of volume

The focus is no longer simply on reducing the number of trips. Instead, businesses are looking more closely at the value each journey delivers. 

For many organisations, business travel remains essential for winning new clients, strengthening relationships, supporting colleagues and enabling international growth. However, travel buyers need clearer evidence that trips are achieving their intended purpose. 

This means asking questions such as: 

The result is a more considered approach to travel, where fewer but more purposeful trips may deliver better outcomes. 

Greater control of travel spend

Cost control remains one of the biggest priorities for FY27, particularly as airfares, accommodation and ground transport costs continue to fluctuate. 

However, travel buyers are increasingly looking beyond headline price. The cheapest available option may create additional costs through lengthy connections, lost working time, missed meetings or expensive changes later. 

Businesses are therefore placing greater emphasis on total trip cost, including: 

Real-time reporting and expert support can help firms identify where spend is being lost and where policy changes could make the biggest difference. 

A better traveller experience

Employee expectations have changed. Travellers want business trips to be efficient, comfortable and supported, from the moment they start planning to the time they return home. 

This includes access to convenient flight times, suitable accommodation, clear booking processes and help when plans change. High-speed connectivity, flexible options and practical support are increasingly viewed as essential rather than optional. 

A positive experience also helps businesses improve policy adoption. If the approved booking process is slow or restrictive, people may be more likely to book independently, creating fragmented data and reducing visibility of spend. 

The priority for FY27 is therefore a travel programme that balances organisational control with choice. 

Technology backed by human expertise

Artificial intelligence and automation are becoming increasingly important in corporate travel. New tools can help people compare options, identify disruptions, personalise recommendations and manage changes more efficiently. 

But technology alone isn’t enough. 

Travel buyers are looking for solutions that combine digital convenience with knowledgeable human support. This is particularly important when a person faces a cancellation, a border disruption, a safety concern or a complex multi-destination itinerary. 

The emerging model is technology for speed and visibility, supported by expert advice when judgement and reassurance matter most. Current industry forecasts point to growing demand for human-centric AI, transparent data and proactive disruption management.  

Measureable sustainability

Sustainability continues to influence corporate travel policy, but FY27 is likely to bring greater demand for practical action and reliable reporting. 

Travel buyers are moving beyond broad commitments and looking for ways to measure the environmental impact of travel more consistently. This may include encouraging rail over short-haul flights, reducing unnecessary journeys, selecting lower-impact accommodation and giving colleagues clearer information at the point of booking. 

The challenge is to make more sustainable choices realistic for the business and the traveller. Policies need to reflect route availability, time, cost, accessibility and the purpose of the trip. 

The strongest programmes will embed sustainability into everyday travel decisions rather than treating it as a separate initiative. 

Stronger duty of care

Duty of care remains a fundamental responsibility for employers. Yet the risk landscape is becoming more complicated, with geopolitical developments, extreme weather, health concerns, cyber risks and changing entry requirements all affecting business travel. 

For FY27, travel buyers are looking for better visibility of where employees are travelling, alongside fast and reliable communication when circumstances change. 

A robust duty-of-care programme should support: 

The ability to respond quickly can make a significant difference to both employee wellbeing and business continuity. 

Policy flexibility for a changing workforce

Corporate travel policies are also becoming more nuanced. A single set of rules may not work equally well for every traveller, destination or trip purpose. 

Businesses are considering how policies should support different needs, including: 

The aim isn’t to remove control, but to create policies that are clear, inclusive and workable in practice. 

When individuals understand why a policy exists and can easily find compliant options, adoption is more likely to improve. 

Preparing your business travel programme for FY27

The priorities for FY27 point towards a more intelligent and balanced approach to business travel. 

Travel buyers will need to manage spend without undermining productivity, improve sustainability without creating unnecessary barriers, and introduce new technology without losing the human support travellers rely on. 

A trusted business travel partner can help bring these priorities together by combining insight, tailored policy guidance, human support and access to relevant travel options. 

At Travel Counsellors for Business, we help organisations create business travel programmes that work for both the business and the people travelling on its behalf. 

If you’re reviewing your travel policy or planning for FY27, talk to Travel Counsellors for Business about how to build a more efficient, flexible and resilient programme.