One of the biggest points covered at last week’s Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) APAC Conference in Singapore was the way the business travel sector continues to thrive in incredibly uncertain times.

GBTA chief executive Suzanne Neufang pointed out the continuing importance of business travel for corporate and industrial growth in our recent interview with her, stating: “[Business travel] drives revenue at some level for a company that wouldn’t make a sale if key people don’t travel. Diplomatic discussions are also a way of travelling for work as it seeks to prevent wars or resolve key issues.” 

However, GBTA senior director in the Asia Pacific Elle Ng Damarwan cautioned that professionals, especially corporate travel advisors, are regarding the immediate future with apprehension and wariness due to economic uncertainty born of regional and global armed conflict.

Indeed, war economics are casting a damper over the sector, especially given the way jet fuel prices and plane fares have skyrocketed in recent weeks.

Ng Damarwan said when asked about the major concerns harboured by business travel professionals: “In addition to geopolitics, travel affordability topped the list, cited by more than eight in ten global  respondents, while employee safety was a top concern for more than two-thirds.”

That last point is critical: concerns regarding traveller safety are up by over ten percentage points since Q1-2026.

Disruption has changed things

Dealing with disruption in its myriad forms is a hallmark of corporate resilience, as companies find innovative ways to meet challenges head-on.

As a March 2026 report from the CAPA-Centre for Aviation puts it: “Operational disruption is also reshaping corporate mobility. Research highlights how safety concerns and travel disruptions are influencing employee expectations of employer support, elevating duty-of-care responsibilities for organisations. The result is a business travel market that remains essential, but is evolving toward greater selectivity and resilience.”

As a way of shielding their clients against potential disruptions, those in charge of corporate travel programmes are becoming more strategic when it comes to planning and implementation.

The CAPA report puts it thus: “Organisations are placing greater scrutiny on travel approvals, prioritising trips that clearly support revenue growth, customer engagement, or operational delivery.” 

Such a shift has been fuelled by rising travel costs, the implementation of sustainability measures, as well as the increasingly volatile geopolitical and socioeconomic scenarios currently affecting global affairs.

Four strategies for resilience

Moving forward, flexibility and adaptability in the face of evolving situations play a major role in keeping the business travel sector resilient on a global scale.

With that said, there are four concepts that could come into play for corporate travel advisors and agencies specialising in corporate travel:

Make the most of emergent technologies

When disruptions hit, contemporary technologies like generative and agentic artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics need to be in one’s toolbox.

AI-powered platforms can be used to reroute flights, secure alternative accommodations in the event of overbooking or stranding, and provide instant support for a whole range of untoward incidents from extreme weather events to political instability.

Likewise, a report from Reed & Mackay suggests leveraging the use of data, specifically predictive analytics, to secure advance fares and hedge against price surges.

Duty of care and wellness

This next strategy involves group and travel insurance, two things that have become necessary in these times.

The Zurich Insurance Group, in particular, advises companies to go beyond basic coverage policies to protect their people whilst travelling.

Today’s business traveller needs comprehensive travel-risk management that covers health emergencies, mental wellbeing, as well as geopolitical issues anywhere in the world.

At the same time, companies need to take their people’s wellness seriously by allowing flexible itineraries, stays at health-conscious hotels, and time to rest between commitments.

Sustainability must be aligned with value

In this context, corporate travel managers and / or human resource people working in a similar capacity need to direct their budgets toward high-value in-person trips while promoting lower-emission routing and green suppliers.

Companies also need to integrate green policies into their travel plans as a way of reducing transportation emissions.

In the long run, this also stands to stabilise operational fuel costs.

Make travel policies more agile

Finally, travel managers need to shift their financial focus from "cost per trip" to "cost per outcome.”

In doing so, they prioritise trips that end with actual results such as contract signings or executive hires, ensuring that every trip is worth both the time and the cost.

It is also necessary to implement unified digital platforms that integrate booking tools, risk alerts, and expense management for better cross-border compliance.