Nearly 90 per cent of travel buyers say technology is crucial to their programmes but almost three-quarters also believe their travel tools are underperforming, according to new research from business travel consultancy Festive Road.

Unveiled at the Global Business Travel Association¡¯s annual convention in Denver on Monday, the Buyer Insights survey of 52 ¡°ambitious¡± travel and expense leaders painted a similar picture when it came to their supplier partners ¨C while 94 per cent value their travel partners, almost two-thirds say partner performance falls short in some areas.

¡°Buyers are striving for better programmes and looking for better partnerships,¡± said Festive Road CEO Caroline Strachan. ¡°They are sending a clear signal that they want sharper strategy, smarter tech and partners who truly deliver value.¡±

On the subject of technology, Strachan said one buyer wanted ¡°open source technology that enables buyers to build their own platform they can adapt and change at will¡±, while another said they were ¡°excited for legacy TMCs and GDSs to evolve or get out of the way¡±.

TMCs were criticised by one buyer for not having a ¡°clear value proposition¡± while among the gripes shared by other survey respondents included frustrations with content access and manipulation, and TMCs¡¯ commercial models and a lack of trust.

In other findings, only ten per cent of respondents' travel programmes had a fully defined purpose aligned with their organisational strategy which is problematic, the report noted, because without that alignment travel managers can struggle to gain traction and support.

Buyers¡¯ lack of time also emerged as a key theme, with more than 50 per cent saying they would like more time for stakeholder engagement. Furthermore, 42 per cent of those surveyed said they spend almost two-thirds of their time on operational activities.

¡°When day-to-day demands dominate [buyers¡¯ time], programmes risk stalling ¨C not because of a lack of vision, but simply because there¡¯s no time to move it forward,¡± noted the report.

Strachan acknowledged that many of the issues identified in the survey are long-standing, but that many buyers are now saying ¡°enough is enough¡±. She continued: ¡°Some buyers have a remit to drive change in their org. It¡¯s not enough to be ambitious. You have to be ambitious in an ambitious environment and maybe some folks who didn¡¯t have that around them do now. They¡¯ve landed in environments where they can really drive change.¡±

Festive Road also revealed a fresh new look following its transition to a buyer-focused consultancy last year and approaches its tenth anniversary in 2026.

See also: Caroline Strachan in the BTN TV studio with editorial director Elizabeth West at Business Travel Show Europe in June.