The second edition of the FCM Corporate Travel Summit, powered by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), concluded successfully at the iconic Leela Palace in Bengaluru
Industry experts shared fresh perspectives and valuable insights on business travel trends, evolving traveler behavior, technology, and meetings & events.
The day-long event featured meaningful conversations in thought-provoking sessions that addressed key topics, including the future of business travel in Asia, the impact of content on travel programs, the transformative role of AI in enhancing the end-to-end customer experience, and the ways technology and innovation drive scalability and improve experiences in meetings and events.
Centered around the theme “Customer Experience Redefined: Tech Driven, People Focused,” the corporate travel summit provided attendees with an in-depth perspective on business travel spending in India.
According to GBTA’s Business Travel Index (BTI) report, presented by Elle Ng-Darmawan, GBTA’s Regional Director for APAC, business travel spending in India stood at an estimated US$38.3 billion, making the country the 8th largest market in the world for travel spending in 2024.
“India is currently in an exciting phase. The economy is robust, corporate earnings are strong, and there’s a growing demand for face-to-face meetings. Domestic capacity has increased by nearly 13 per cent compared to pre-pandemic, a significant change from the past year.
“Hotel occupancies in the organised sector are at record levels, reaching almost 68 per cent with Average Room Rates (ARRs) hitting US$100. This positivity is largely driven by strong economic growth and performance across most industries,” said Sunny Sodhi, Managing Director of FCM Travel India.
According to the GBTA, India is the fourth largest market in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, accounting for 6.2 per cent of business travel spending.
“We are observing significant growth coming from national markets and the SME segment, which has been a major driver of regional expansion. The meetings and events sector is also robust in India, clearly showing steady growth,” said Bertrand Saillet, Managing Director of FCM Travel Asia.
Technology has also become one of the key discussion points. As per a GBTA survey, 63 per cent of APAC buyers revealed AI was their top priority for 2025, the highest globally.
“Flight Centre Travel Group has established an AI Centre of Excellence, dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence capabilities. The focus is on two main areas: empowering our people to deliver superior service, and enhancing the traveler experience by providing timely, relevant information and ensuring travelers can engage with us anytime,” said Bertrand Saillet, Managing Director of FCM Travel Asia.
The FCM Meetings & Events team of experts also explored the concepts of return on investment versus return on engagement.
“When considering return on investment, it’s essential to recognise the role of technology and tools in driving engagement with content. These resources deliver highly personalised experiences, helping attendees stay engaged with the event’s objectives and purpose throughout the entire customer journey,” said Simone Seiler, Global Leader of FCM Meetings & Events.
“The outlook for business travel in 2025 is very promising, and it is expected to be a pivotal year as business travel enters its next era. However, we must also take into account economic developments, as travel costs and budgets will play a major role. Technological advancements, particularly in AI, along with the ongoing evolution of sustainability, will continue to shape our industry,” said Ng-Darmawan.
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