APAC Business Traveller Experience 2026

The Business Traveller Experience in Southeast Asia is new research from GBTA, conducted in partnership with Grab For Business, exploring how business travellers navigate ground transportation, expenses, and meals across the region.

Based on a survey of 1,200 business travellers working at organizations with 250+ employees across Southeast Asia, the study highlights gaps between company travel policies and how travellers actually move through a trip. While most organizations have managed travel programs in place, travellers frequently rely on more convenient, flexible options that fall outside of policy.     

The research examines where friction exists today and where there is opportunity to better align travel programs with real-world traveller needs.   

Los hallazgos clave incluyen:

• 32% say navigating transportation in an unfamiliar place is the most stressful part of a business trip  
• 83% regularly use ground transportation outside company policy or approved options  
• While 95% use ride-hailing on business trips, only 58% say their company has a formal relationship or contract with a ride-hailing provider 
• 75% say safety is the most important factor when choosing ground transportation  
• 46% are in fully managed travel programs, but maturity varies across markets  
• 46% spend more than 20 minutes submitting expenses per trip  
• 93% say a single platform for transport and meal expenses would be appealing

Travel programs are not broken, but they are not fully aligned with how people travel today.

Download the full study to explore traveller behaviour, regional differences, and opportunities to modernize your program.