Travel buyer insights: Sourcing and supplier strategies
In this survey, we look at how organizations source and manage their travel suppliers. We focus on procurement strategies, priorities, key challenges and supplier management trends that influence travel program performance.
Download the report to find out about:
– Key sourcing priorities and the most time-consuming tasks for travel buyers
– Internal and external stakeholders involved in travel sourcing
– Frequency of contract negotiations with travel suppliers
– Methods used to evaluate supplier performance
– Emerging sourcing trends, including the use of Artificial Intelligence
– How BCD can help source and manage travel suppliers
The findings are based on an online survey of 132 travel buyers worldwide, conducted in August 2025.
Travel Spend 2025
Over 40% of travel buyers report increased travel spend in 2025, driven primarily by business growth. Around 30% note a decrease in spend, mostly due to cost cutting.
Travel spend by meetings type
Over the last year, travel spend on client meetings rose more significantly compared to to other meetings types.
Sourcing priorities
Most travel buyers prioritize cost control in their sourcing decisions. Data collection, contract compliance and supplier consolidation are also in the top-four.
Sourcing stake holders
In addition to travel management, procurement, finance and security departments are most frequently involved in sourcing travel suppliers.
Third-parties for sourcing
Six in 10 buyers rely on their travel management company (TMC) for support with sourcing, while roughly three in 10 engage external consultants.
Sourcing tasks
Cited by over half, contract negotiations and management tops the list of the most time-consuming sourcing tasks. It’s followed by managing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and monitoring supplier performance.
Sourcing challenges
Pricing challenges lead the list of travel buyers’ concerns when sourcing travel suppliers: High costs and rate fluctuations are cited by over 40% of respondents.
Frequency of contracts negotiation
Across supplier categories, hotel agreements stand out for their consistency, with 87% being renewed annually. Airline and car rental contracts tend to be of a longer duration.
Cost containment measures
Travel buyers use various strategies to lower supplier costs: The common ones include supplier consolidation, renegotiation of existing agreements and the use of re-shopping tools, each adopted by 40-50%.
Traveler influence
Two-thirds of companies mandate the use of preferred travel suppliers, while one-third prioritize the lowest rates regardless of supplier status.
Supplier evaluation
The most frequently cited criteria for supplier evaluation is actual cost savings, according to nearly 70% of respondents
Tracking contract fulfillment
TMC reporting is the primary data source travel buyers rely on to monitor supplier compliance.
Pressure from suppliers
While over half of buyers experience moderate pressure from travel suppliers facing manageable challenges, a quarter find supplier relationships to be stable and collaborative.
Air sourcing strategy
In upcoming negotiations with air suppliers, 38% of buyers expect to seek more additional services and 23% anticipate greater flexibility in cancellations and exchanges. Their expectations around air fares are mixed.
Hotel sourcing strategy
Travel buyers anticipate more flexible hotel cancellation policies, more additional services and increased sustainability requirements issued to accommodation providers. More buyers expect hotel rates to decline, the agreements to last longer and more service level agreements (SLAs) to be agreed on.
Negotiated hotel rates
Half of buyers negotiate fixed Last Room Availability (LRA) rates, while approximately one-third secure hotel chainwide agreements. A similar proportion opt for a mix of different rate types.
Car rental sourcing strategy
In the next round of car rental contract updates, buyers expect to seek wider insurance coverage and extra services. Some anticipate higher flexibility of cancellation policies and greater focus on sustainability.
Sourcing trends
Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as the leading trend shaping the future of travel sourcing. Other notable trends include multi-year supplier agreements and dynamic pricing, while areas like supplier diversity and ethical sourcing remain less popular.
Use of Artificial Intelligence for sourcing
Nearly one in six travel buyers are leveraging AI for sourcing. Among the remaining 80% who haven’t yet adopted AI, about half are actively exploring its potential and planning future implementations.
What travel buyers want from suppliers
How BCD can help
BCD simplifies supplier data throughout the trip lifecycle, empowering travel managers with actionable insights for smarter budgeting, stronger compliance, and confident decisions.
How BCD can help
Advito is BCD’s consulting division with solutions designed to help you build and optimize your managed hotel program. Our solutions are powered by data and driven by people with the expertise to take your program to new levels of savings, sustainability, and satisfaction
Natalia Tretyakevich
Senior Manager, Research & Intelligence
[email protected]