Advertise on podcast: The Business of Travel

Extended stay should be treated as a strategic category - not a hotel alternative—when organisations need better cost control, stronger traveller suitability for multi-week stays and more disciplined programme design across Travel, Procurement and Mobility. The opportunity is compelling, but scale typically breaks down where booking friction, variable standards, weak policy thresholds and fragmented supplier management are prevalent. As corporate travel shifts toward longer project stays, relocation transitions and purposeful consolidated trips, extended stay is becoming a more relevant commercial lever rather than a "niche" accommodation choice. Levi Silver (moderator) Head of Sales, Northern Europe. HRS Jess Blackmore Director of Global Account Management Dwellworks Zara Higgins DIRECT ATPI General Manager/Head of Global Energy Ana Cristiano James Diebold Nixdorf - Global Principal Category Manager – Travel & Expense   Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod   Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Dr. Maureen Gannon shares insights on imposter syndrome and how to move past self-doubt with greater confidence. Hosted by Cari Wurzbacher. Brought to you by WINiT by the GBTA Foundation.   Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod   Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

In this episode of The Business of Travel, the GBTA Europe Accommodation Committee explores how technology is shaping personalisation across the accommodation experience in business travel.​   Hosted by Daniel Norris, Regional Director of Sales at ehotel and members of the GBTA Europe Accommodation Committee, the conversation brings together perspectives from across the business travel ecosystem, including travel management, accommodation providers, and hotel operations.​   Together, the panel discusses how personalisation is evolving beyond traveller preference alone and becoming increasingly connected to compliance, operational efficiency, booking experience, payments, and data integration. Listeners will gain practical insight into where technology is creating value today, how personalisation expectations are changing, and what organisations should consider as they evolve their accommodation programmes.   Speakers: Daniel Norris, Regional Director of Sales, ehotel​ Juliet Howie,  Account Manager, Radisson Hotels Group​  Andrea Batchelor I Global Hotel Lead | Travel & Expense, Barclays​ Jo Westlake, Executive Director, Global Corporate Clients, Acco​   Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod   Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Digital accessibility is often treated as a compliance checkbox—but in reality, it's a complex, evolving discipline with direct implications for risk, customer experience, and operational efficiency. In this episode, a Product Manager and Accessibility Compliance lead at Cytric Easy at Amadeus IT Group (Nick Hebrant) breaks down what accessibility actually means in practice. The conversation demystifies WCAG 2.1 accessibility guidelines, clarifying that they are not rigid standards but guidelines—introducing interpretation, subjectivity, and inconsistency across organizations and regions. Key insights include: Why most accessibility issues are invisible and rooted in underlying code The absence of standardized scoring, and what VPAT/ACR reports really represent The operational and global complexity of managing accessibility across platforms Common pitfalls, including misaligned audits and lack of product context For Travel Managers (conversation led by Cristina Chimenti), the takeaway is clear: your role isn't to solve accessibility technically, but to manage the conversation strategically. By understanding on vendor mindset, structured progress, and informed questioning, organizations can move beyond focusing on compliance as an end goal. Accessibility isn't a finish line—it's an ongoing journey that separates reactive organizations from resilient ones.  Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod   Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Nota: Este episodio está disponible en español. En este episodio de The Business of Travel, Mariana Pérez Ponce de León, Regional Director, Mexico, Central America and Colombia de GBTA, y Daniel Duarte, South Regional Manager de GBTA, conversan con Alfredo Dellepiane, Sr. Director – LAC Agro & WCS Head, Visa Commercial Solutions, LAC, sobre los hallazgos más recientes del GBTA Business Travel Index™ para América Latina. La conversación explora el crecimiento de los viajes de negocios en la región, las tendencias por mercado, la percepción de los viajeros, la gestión de costos, los pagos corporativos, la sostenibilidad y los factores económicos que están dando forma al futuro de los viajes de negocios en América Latina. Un agradecimiento especial a Visa por patrocinar esta serie de podcasts del BTI y por apoyar año tras año la investigación de GBTA. ---- Please note: This podcast episode is presented in Spanish. In this episode of The Business of Travel, GBTA's Mariana Pérez Ponce de León, Regional Director, Mexico, Central America and Colombia, and Daniel Duarte, South Regional Manager, are joined by Alfredo Dellepiane, Sr. Director – LAC Agro & WCS Head, Visa Commercial Solutions, LAC, to unpack the latest GBTA Business Travel Index™ findings for Latin America. The conversation explores regional business travel growth, market-by-market trends, traveler sentiment, cost management, corporate payments, sustainability, and the economic factors shaping the future of business travel across Latin America. A special thank you to Visa for sponsoring this BTI podcast series and supporting GBTA's business travel research year after year.   Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod   Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

In this episode of The Business of Travel, presented by the GBTA U.S. Accommodations Committee, Fred Veliyev, Principal Product Manager at Cvent Transient, David Mollov, Managing Director of Travel Industry Solutions at Emburse, and Annette Cumming, SVP Business Development at CerebriAI, discuss the key trends that emerged from the 2026 hotel RFP season.  The conversation explores what buyers should know as they evaluate hotel program performance, supplier strategy, sourcing decisions, and the evolving technologies shaping accommodation programs. Listeners will gain practical insights into the current hotel sourcing landscape and considerations for building stronger, more informed hotel programs moving forward.    Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod   Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

The GBTA Convention annually brings together thousands of business travel professionals to connect, learn, grow and shape the future of the global industry. So, what can attendees expect at GBTA Convention 2026 in Chicago, August 3-5, and how can they make the most of their experience? In this podcast, Alison Rogan, Vice President of the GBTA Board of Directors and Head of Travel, Events and Expense Management at HSBC; Kevin Sullivan, Treasurer of the GBTA Board of Directors and Managing Director of Sales at Southwest Business; and Edward Galvin, President of the GBTA Allied Leadership Council and Vice President & Head of North America B2B Commercial Payment Sales at Visa, provide an insider's preview of GBTA Convention 2026 in Chicago, highlighting what attendees can expect, must-see sessions, and new programming.   Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod   Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Simple meetings may represent the majority of meeting volume, but they often remain the least visible, least controlled, and most difficult to measure. In this three-part podcast series from the GBTA Europe Meetings & Events Committee, Jason Long, Senior Vice President of Global Business Development at HRS, speaks with industry leaders about how organisations are tackling data gaps, improving compliance, and using technology and AI to build more effective and measurable meetings programmes. Across the series, listeners will gain practical insight into sustainability reporting, financial oversight, automation, and integrated technology strategies shaping the future of meetings management. In this episode - Jason Long speaks with Carol Fergus, Director of Global Travel and Events at Fidelity, about why simple meetings continue to create major visibility and reporting challenges for organisations. Together, they explore how travel leaders are working to connect fragmented data sources to better measure sustainability, savings, and traveller satisfaction outcomes.   Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod   Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Simple meetings may represent the majority of meeting volume, but they often remain the least visible, least controlled, and most difficult to measure. In this three-part podcast series from the GBTA Europe Meetings & Events Committee, Jason Long, Senior Vice President of Global Business Development at HRS, speaks with industry leaders about how organisations are tackling data gaps, improving compliance, and using technology and AI to build more effective and measurable meetings programmes. Across the series, listeners will gain practical insight into sustainability reporting, financial oversight, automation, and integrated technology strategies shaping the future of meetings management. In this episode - Jason Long joins Gill Day, Senior Global Account Director at BCD Meetings & Events, to examine how integrated technology can help organisations gain greater transparency and control across simple meetings programmes. The discussion highlights how automation and connected systems can reduce manual processes, improve compliance, and create a stronger foundation for scalable programme management.   Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod   Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Simple meetings may represent the majority of meeting volume, but they often remain the least visible, least controlled, and most difficult to measure. In this three-part podcast series from the GBTA Europe Meetings & Events Committee, Jason Long, Senior Vice President of Global Business Development at HRS, speaks with industry leaders about how organisations are tackling data gaps, improving compliance, and using technology and AI to build more effective and measurable meetings programmes. In this episode - Jason Long speaks with Andrew Needham, CEO of Headbox, about the unescapable role of AI in meetings management. Together, we'll explore the pros & cons of how AI can be used in the meetings space of business travel. We will examine how it reduces manual effort, prevents leakage, strengthens decisions and increases the user experience.   Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod   Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

AI in corporate travel is no longer theoretical. It is operational.​ In this episode of Business of Travel, the GBTA Europe Technology Committee takes a practical look at how AI assistants are being deployed across managed travel programs.​ Host Lenny Hornsby speaks with Johnny Thorsen, a technology leader with hands-on experience implementing AI solutions, about availability, onboarding, ideal client fit, limitations, and measurable impact.​ The discussion moves beyond buzzwords to address real questions:​ Where is AI working today?​ Where does human intervention still matter?​ What governance and data considerations must travel leaders understand?​ For corporate travel managers and global program owners, this episode provides a grounded framework for evaluating AI tools in managed travel. Speakers: Heinz Lennard Hornsby (Lenny) – Chair of the GBTA Europe Technology Committee Johnny Thorsen – VP Strategic Business Development, Serko Ltd.   Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod   Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Diving into the European business travel outlook, using recent data from the GBTA Business Travel Index, our annual global benchmark sponsored by Visa, Chris Ely, Research Director, GBTA sits down with Romain Mialane, Visa, Sales Director, Europe.  What you'll hear:  What Europe data really says  How payments data adds context  What travel managers should be paying attention to as we head into the next planning cycle.    Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod   Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

In this episode of GBTA's The Business of Travel, Chris Ely, Research Director, GBTA, sits down with Edward Galvin, Head of Visa Commercial Solutions, North America, to unpack what the latest GBTA Business Travel Index (BTI) forecasts about the state of business travel worldwide. From the big-picture forces driving global spend to a closer look at how key regions are performing, they break down the numbers behind the headlines and what they mean for travel programs and suppliers. The conversation also explores how technology and AI are reshaping everything from the traveler experience to payments and program management, before closing with a clear-eyed outlook on where business travel spending might head next.   Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod   Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

While the situation continues to evolve, regional experts discuss how disruptions across the Middle East are having global ramifications impacting aviation, fuel availability, and airline operations. Designed for global travel buyers, this episode aims to provide clarity, context, and actionable takeaways to support informed decision-making in global business travel.  Hear scenario-based insights and actionable approaches to help you navigate volatility and plan with greater confidence, focusing on practical implications for cost management, supplier strategy, and programme resilience.  Moderator: Calum Hawley, Chair of GBTA Transportation Committee and Managing Director, BTC Global. Ben Park – Direct Seat, Regional Europe, GBTA and Executive Director Travel & Sustainability Parexel Peter Harbison, Chairman of Greener Airlines and co-founder of FACTS Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod   Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Geopolitical uncertainty, shifting ESG narratives, and budget pressures are forcing companies to think differently about sustainability. This session dives into how organizations are turning these constraints into catalysts—reframing sustainability as business value, leveraging it as a competitive advantage, and finding innovative ways to fund and scale their efforts.   Speakers: Townsend Bailey, VP Global Corporate Responsibility Strategy, Reporting, & Technology, IHG Amelia DeLuca, Chief Sustainability Officer, Delta Air Lines Page Motes, Chief Compliance & Sustainability Officer, Hertz Brought to you by GBTA Foundation Sustainability Partners   Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod   Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License