Millennials and Gen Z business travellers are prioritising price, safety, and sustainable travel options. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/1112000
As Millennials and Generation Z increasingly enter the workforce, the MICE industry is experiencing notable shifts, with their unique preferences reshaping how business travel and events are planned. Understanding these younger business travellers is crucial for developing solutions that align with their values and influence their decisions.
At the GBTA APAC Conference 2025 in Singapore, Corporate Travel Management’s (CTM) general manager of sales and client value management for Asia, Wayne Koh, shared key insights from CTM’s latest research report, Millennial & Gen Z Business Travel Trends 2025 & Beyond, which surveyed 702 respondents across Australia, the UK, the US, Hong Kong, and Singapore in March 2025.
Who’s who and how they work
The report focused on Millennials (born 1981–1996) and Gen Z (born 1997–2006). Most (95%) work full-time, with a mix of hybrid (46%), office-based (41%), and remote (13%) work setups. Their roles span HR, finance, legal, sustainability, sales, IT, and more – basically the full corporate spectrum.
How often and why they hit the road
Around 70% travel between one and five times annually for work, with 5% clocking more than ten trips a year. Business travel matters: 57% say it’s crucial for career progression, 51% link it to professional performance, and 45% to job satisfaction.
Top trip reasons? Conferences, training, and sales meetings.
Travel booking and priorities by region
Half of these travellers book their own arrangements. What matters varies: US travellers hunt for the best price; UK and Asian travellers prioritise safety and security; Australians favour quality and comfort.
And what they enjoy? Americans love discovering new places, Asians and Brits value teamwork, while Aussies appreciate a break from routine.
Airlines and hotels: What makes the cut?
When choosing airlines, price, flight schedules, and on-time performance are top considerations. For hotels, location, 24/7 reception services, and on-site fitness or wellness facilities rank highest in importance.
Policies vs. personal needs
While 83% understand their company’s travel policies, only 54% say these meet their personal needs.
Sustainability is a big deal for younger travellers – 57% want employers to invest more in eco-friendly travel options. Asian travellers lead this expectation (75%), US travellers less so (33%).
Loyalty pays off, and bleisure is in
Loyalty programmes influence travel supplier choices for 43% of respondents. The most valued loyalty benefits include discounts, special offers, free flights or hotel stays, upgrades, and priority access for fast-track security, boarding, and baggage handling.
Bleisure travel – combining business trips with leisure activities – is common, with 42% reporting they usually or always engage in it. The highest uptake is in Asia (55%), followed by the UK (48%), Australia (47%), and the US (29%).
What’s in for booking tech
Online booking tools and websites dominate, used by 71% of travellers, followed by mobile apps (52%), phone bookings (24%), and messaging apps such as Teams or Slack (23%).
In two years, phone bookings are expected to drop off the list of preferred tools, replaced by conversational AI chat tools, which 22% want to use. Online booking tools will remain dominant (68%), with mobile apps increasing in popularity (58%).
AI’s coming impact: Speed, choice, and price
Respondents anticipate that AI will improve business travel primarily through faster booking speeds (65%), broader choice of travel products (61%), and better pricing (60%).