AI continues to dominate corporate travel with recent market research into the global corporate travel sector reporting that two thirds – 66 per cent – of corporates are planning to integrate a range of AI-driven booking, expenses and pricing tools across their travel programmes in the next six years.
The size of the Asia Pacific travel market was valued at US$348 billion in 2024. The market is expected to be grow at a CAGR of 8.8% from 2025 to 2033 and be worth US$749 billion by 2033 from US$379 billion in 2025 according to Market Data Forecast.
These hot topics will be the focus at the two-day conference, Business Travel Show Asia Pacific, that will concentrate on AI in corporate travel planning. Over 500 leading corporate travel buyers and suppliers are expected to attend the conference, now in its second year, which will be held at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, 14 – 15 April 2026.
Commenting on this year’s show, Jen Bankard, Executive Director, Conference Content & Strategy, The BTN Group, said, “When curating this year’s conference programme, our focus has been on placing AI within the broader context of the industry – exploring how buyers and suppliers are working together to apply it in practical ways, alongside sharing the findings from our global AI survey of travel buyers.”
‘AI in action’
Ahead of the show, attendees from across the APAC region share their views on how and where AI is set to make the biggest impact.
The first, ‘AI in action: How corporate travel programmes and their supplier partners are using AI today,’ will examine the impact of AI across the corporate travel ecosystem:
- ‘AI and travel management’ opening day two with BTN Group Vice President of Content, Elizabeth West, presenting findings from the latest Business Travel News research on AI and travel management
- ‘Business Travel Show Asia Pacific Innovation Faceoff 2026’ presentations – five of the brightest and boldest innovators in the industry will pitch the latest technology solutions set to shape the future landscape of corporate travel.
- Buyer-only BTN Community session: ‘Technology and distribution’ will examine the impact of travel technology and distribution changes on managed travel programmes, also on day one.
From reactive to proactive
The direction of AI in corporate travel is clear: no longer simply answering traveller queries, it is beginning to anticipate them as predictive tools accelerate. From flagging visa requirements 60 days in advance, to forecasting flight disruptions and triggering instant re-bookings before travellers are impacted.
Vibhav Singh, Principal Consultant – Commercial Lead, Amex GBT Consulting predicts, “Looking ahead, we will see more proactive, ‘agentic’ experiences – where AI shifts from simply responding to requests to actively supporting travellers in the background, such as monitoring disruptions and helping re-accommodate trips when needed, with seamless escalation to a human when it matters most.”
Geert de Boo, Vice President of Global Business Travel, JTB Business Travel said, “Agentic AI is enabling travel management companies to “deliver deeper levels of support, but still with the possibility of a real agent’s help to support a range of services including.”
Agentic AI takes centre-stage
‘Agentic AI’ is also seen by many as the defining trend of 2026. Vicki Parris, Managing Director for SE Asia, FCM Travel, says the agency expects agentic AI to be one of the main aspects of its AI-implementation across its systems in the year ahead: “Integrating agentic AI into our booking system will see travellers gradually move away from the traditional OBT booking to a more intuitive solution.”
A view shared by Eugene Tan, General Manager – Southeast Asia & Global Partnerships, Trip.Biz –“The impact of AI this year will be to prove that the most successful initiatives implemented for the travel programmes can combine digital speed with reliable human presence to support the business travellers.”
Is governance putting the brakes on AI acceleration?
In line with the topic of trust, buyer-side voices are also conscious of the need to secure solid governance foundations before committing to scaling AI across travel programmes.
Kerri Homann, Travel Manager, Rheinmetall Defence Australia and New Zealand comments, “While AI has the potential to improve efficiency and insight, our primary focus will be on ensuring that any use of AI across the travel ecosystem is secure, compliant and well governed. Ultimately, the challenge for the industry will be balancing innovation with responsibility, ensuring AI enhances the travel programme while protecting our travellers, our data and our duty of care obligations.”
