Navigating the New Normal: The Australian Corporate Travel Category in 2026

By GROUP CPO

Category Intelligence

Corporate travel has always been one of procurement’s most visible categories. It sits at the intersection of cost management and employee experience, financial discipline and executive expectations, and sustainability ambition versus operational need.

In Australia, the category has recovered strongly from the disruption of recent years, but it has not returned to the way it was. Travel programmes are becoming more deliberate, data driven and strategically managed.

For procurement leaders, 2026 presents an opportunity to rethink how corporate travel delivers value.

A Market That Has Recovered, But Changed

The Australian corporate travel market continues to show strong momentum, supported by the return of face to face engagement, client activity and business growth.

However, the nature of corporate travel has evolved. Organisations are moving away from high frequency, lower value trips and shifting towards fewer, more purposeful journeys focused on outcomes, whether that is building customer relationships, developing teams, or supporting major business initiatives.

The focus has moved to “what value will this trip create?”

This shift provides procurement teams with an opportunity to redesign travel programmes around business impact rather than simply managing spend.

Aviation: Managing a Dynamic Market

Australia’s domestic aviation market continues to be shaped by a concentrated supplier landscape, with Qantas and Virgin Australia remaining central partners for corporate travellers.

While demand has returned, evolving travel patterns mean many organisations are reviewing how they structure airline agreements, manage volumes and access value.

Technology is also changing the category. New Distribution Capability (NDC) is reshaping how airline content is accessed, compared and booked. As adoption continues, procurement teams benefit from working closely with their travel management partners to understand how booking platforms, content access and policy settings are evolving.

With airfares expected to remain under pressure due to global capacity constraints and demand growth, visibility and flexibility will be increasingly important.

Accommodation: Moving Beyond the Traditional Rate Card

Hotel programmes are also changing. Corporate demand in major CBD markets remains strong, particularly mid-week, and many organisations are reassessing whether traditional annual negotiated rates provide the best outcomes.

Dynamic pricing, automated rate monitoring and reshopping technology are giving procurement teams greater visibility and the ability to capture value throughout the year.

The strongest programmes will combine negotiated partnerships with smarter use of data and technology.

Duty of Care Becomes a Strategic Priority

Traveller wellbeing and risk management have become central components of corporate travel strategy.

Geopolitical uncertainty, weather disruption and increasingly complex international travel environments mean organisations require strong visibility of where their people are and the ability to support them quickly when circumstances change.

As a result, TMC evaluation has broadened well beyond transaction management. Leading programmes increasingly consider traveller experience, technology capability, reporting, risk management and support services as part of the overall value equation.

Sustainability: Building Capability Now

As climate reporting expectations evolve, business travel emissions are receiving increased attention.

For many organisations, the immediate priority is building accurate data foundations: understanding emissions by traveller, business unit and trip type.

While areas such as sustainable aviation fuel and carbon reduction initiatives continue to mature, procurement teams that establish reliable measurement capability now will be better positioned for future requirements.

Priorities for Procurement Leaders in 2026

The opportunity here, is to design programmes that reflect how your organisation works today. Key focus areas include:

Improve data visibility - Strong spend, traveller and emissions data is a foundation for better decisions.

Partner closely with your TMC - Technology, AI-enabled tools, reporting capability and traveller support are evolving quickly. Regular strategic discussions with travel partners can help organisations unlock new opportunities.

Understand your content strategy - Review how airline content, including NDC enabled options, is accessed through your booking ecosystem.

Modernise travel policies - Policies designed for pre-pandemic travel patterns may not reflect today’s environment of fewer, higher value trips.

Embed sustainability measurement - Building reporting infrastructure now will support future compliance and decision-making.

Corporate travel in Australia is a category in transition. To create the most value over the coming years you will need to move beyond viewing travel purely as a cost centre and recognise it as a strategic enabler of connection, growth and organisational performance.

GROUP CPO works with leading Australian organisations to identify and place procurement leaders with the expertise to manage complex, high-visibility categories.

If you are building your procurement leadership team — or exploring what is possible for your own career — we would be glad to connect.

groupcpo.com | info@groupcpo.com