By Karthik Venkataraman, CRPO, Travel Division, Vernost Tech Ventures
B2B travel is highly fragmented, with complex content sourcing, pricing, and distribution challenges. “In today’s competitive B2B travel ecosystem, suppliers and distributors are under pressure to deliver speed, accuracy, and value. Artificial Intelligence is no longer a buzzword — it is the engine driving smarter recommendations, deeper personalization, and measurable ROI for global travel companies.”
Business travel is no longer confined to simple ticket bookings or hotel reservations. Rather, in today’s competitive landscape, it has emerged as a strategic lever for organisations looking to expand globally, strengthen client relations as well as enhance employee engagement. The global B2B travel market is projected to reach USD 32.71 billion by 2032, reflecting this shift. Corporate clients and travel business owners now expect seamless journeys, balancing convenience, safety, and cost efficiency while also offering personalisation at scale. Meeting these shifting expectations requires a degree of agility along with intelligence that conventional systems often lack. This is precisely where artificial intelligence (AI) is proving its mettle. It is not just changing the facet of B2B travel landscape but also generating better suggestions, vital insights, and higher returns on investment (ROI).
Personalisation at Scale
One of the key uses of AI in B2B travel lies in its potential to offer personalised experiences. Corporate travel managers today increasingly seek platforms that align with employee preferences without losing sight of company policies. By leveraging data drawn from previous trips and traveller profiles, AI curates personalised itineraries – taking into account dietary needs, seating choices, and loyalty memberships. Such personalisation ensures employees enjoy comfort. In contrast, businesses maintain compliance and cost control. AI-driven loyalty programs further enhance engagement, offering upgrades, discounts, and complementary services that enhance repeat travel.
Effective Risk Management
For corporate travellers, time and certainty play a crucial role. For instance, a sudden disruption or flight delay can put a crucial meeting at risk and lead to losses. To mitigate these challenges in a proactive manner, AI employs predictive analytics that consider real-time sources such as weather advisories and government updates. With the derived insights, managers can forestall risks and propose safer options. In addition, AI effectively streamlines itineraries. It balances meeting schedules, flight options, as well as local commutes, promising efficiency alongside security.
Seamless Expense Management
The financial dimension of business travel remains a primary concern. AI simplifies this by integrating directly with expense management platforms used by firms. Automated reports, invoicing, and VAT recovery provide companies with granular visibility while reducing manual workload. For SMEs, these systems help control limited budgets by establishing expense protocols for every trip. On the contrary, large enterprises benefit from real-time tracking of employee-level costs across regions and departments. From a routine process to a strategic benefit, AI alters expense management in both the cases.
The Future: Agentic AI and Feedback Intelligence
The next phase of AI innovation promises even greater autonomy. Agentic AI is poised to execute end-to-end travel tasks. From booking, calendar synchronisation and expense reporting to adhering to corporate policies and duty-of-care requirements, agentic AI will cover it all. Generative AI already enables conversational trip planning, where a simple request results in a fully curated itinerary within seconds. Consequently, the global generative AI in the tourism market, which includes B2B travel, is anticipated to reach around USD 5,067.29 million by 2034.
Equally transformative is the use of AI in customer feedback. Future systems will merge hyper-personalisation, predictive behaviour modelling together with sentiment analysis to accurately anticipate traveller needs. Emerging technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and blockchain will further strengthen feedback systems, offering immersive engagement and greater transparency. These advancements signal a future where B2B platforms evolve from transactional systems into intelligent partners in business growth.
In summary, AI has become the core of innovation in B2B travel. From personalised recommendations and predictive risk management to seamless expense integration, AI is reshaping the industry with smarter solutions and measurable ROI. As business travel continues to grow, organisations will increasingly view it as a strategic investment rather than a logistical requirement. In this environment, AI-driven platforms will stand at the forefront, delivering the intelligence, efficiency, and adaptability needed to redefine B2B travel for the next decade.