Strategic approach to business travel management helps companies outperform

According to a new study, U.S. companies that take a strategic, well-governed approach to their business travel programs can achieve up to 30% higher revenue than their peers.

That was one of the findings in a new return on investment (ROI) benchmarking study by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA).

The aggregate analysis of more than 3,200 U.S. firms across 17 industries found that every 1% increase in managed travel spending is associated with a 0.20% rise in revenue, and firms that balance strategic travel policy controls and flexibility outperform firms that do not by up to 30%.

The study, entitled “Quantifying the Return on Investment of U.S. Business Travel: Company Benchmarking Analysis,” provides landmark insights on the ROI of business travel at the company and industry levels, with actionable data for organizations seeking to optimize travel spend and drive stronger business outcomes.

It is a follow-up to a companion report GBTA and ASTA released in July providing a broader view on ROI and business travel investment for U.S. firms.

Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA, said: “Our partnership with ASTA on these ROI studies allows us to provide evidence-based insights into the strategic value of business travel and its impact on company performance ? particularly for small and mid-sized organizations.”

Neufang continued: “This latest company-level analysis is designed to empower travel managers and executives to optimize their business travel strategies, fuel growth and maintain a competitive edge in today’s dynamic business environment.”

The study identifies the key drivers of travel and expense (T&E) spending and provides a benchmarking framework for organizations to compare their travel investment against industry peers:

• Travel Management Design and Approach: Firms with a strategically well-governed approach to their business travel policies and programs spend more on travel, but this reflects greater business travel demand and is associated with stronger ROI and business outcomes. Disciplined, data-driven travel management is a hallmark of growth-oriented firms.
• Firm Size: Organizations with more than 1,000 employees (representing total T&E budgets of about $2.4 million on average) benefit from economies of scale, resulting in lower per-employee costs. Firms with under 100 employees spend less overall but face higher per-employee travel costs, reflecting a heavier relative burden and a stronger dependency on travel as a growth driver.
• Industry Variation: Sectors with high field activity—such as utilities ($8,600 per employee), healthcare ($6,800), and public administration ($4,700)—show the greatest per-employee spend. Industries with more location-bound workforces, like food services and education, spend the least.

The analysis reveals that effective travel policy creation and management is a strategic driver of business performance. However, overly rigid enforcement — where business travel rules are applied so strictly that they restrict employees’ ability to make timely or cost-effective travel decisions ? can limit returns, emphasizing the need for balanced compliance frameworks that maintain both control and flexibility.

Zane Kerby, President and CEO of ASTA, pointed out that: “This research directly demonstrates that business travel is not just a budget line item. Companies who approach travel management with effective policies, discipline and flexibility are better positioned to capture new opportunities and outperform their peers. Leveraging data-driven benchmarks will be essential for maximizing the value of every travel dollar.”

The benchmarking model accounts for each company’s unique mix of attributes ? such as revenue, employee count, number of locations, and operational intensity ? allowing organizations to pinpoint how much they should be spending on travel relative to peers.

For example, a company in the Human Health and Social Work sector was found to be underspending by $50,000 compared to its predicted benchmark, while a firm in the Information and Communication sector was overspending by $160,000, highlighting opportunities for efficiency gains or strategic investment.

The takeaways for business leaders include:

• A 1% increase in staffing corresponds to roughly a 1.1% rise in travel expenditures; each additional 1% in company locations adds about 0.08% to total spend.
• Capital-intensive sectors (e.g., energy, manufacturing) spend approximately 34% more on travel, while labor-intensive industries spend about 27% less.
• Companies with travel management programs spend a higher proportion of revenue on travel (0.76%) compared to the industry average (0.65%), reflecting higher travel intensity and more structured management.