Corporate Traveler, the small and medium-sized businesses (SME) division of Flight Centre Travel Group, announced the release of its first-ever CFO Travel Guide, a strategic resource designed to help finance leaders make smarter, more data-driven decisions around business travel spending.

The guide, said the announcement, provides practical tools for SMEs to enhance their travel programs by controlling costs, managing risk and maximizing ROI amid today’s evolving business travel landscape. Featuring expert insights from Mark Imrie, CFO, Flight Centre Travel Group, Americas, the guide examines the current state of business travel spending and highlights key pricing trends across the airline and hotel sectors.

With nearly two decades of industry experience, said the announcement, Imrie has a proven ability to accelerate business growth. Throughout the guide, he shares his unique financial perspective and offers actionable, proven strategies to help CFOs transform business travel from a complex cost center into a catalyst for sustainable growth.

“While business travel is the second-largest controllable expense for most companies,” said Imrie, “it’s also one of the most volatile.” Given that unpredictability, he said, “CFOs must adapt quickly and make informed decisions that balance cost control with long-term value.“ For CFOs today, said Imrie, the question isn’t whether to spend on travel, but how to strategically deploy it to ensure the greatest return. The most successful companies, he said, “will treat travel like working capital – investing in the right trips, at the right time and with the right controls.”

 Key Insights from the CFO Travel Guide include:

• Traveler behaviors – Longer, multi-city trips are replacing single-day trips, with the average trip now lasting 2.5 days. CFO Takeaway – Shifting traveler behaviors present margin opportunities. Encouraging earlier arrivals can boost productivity and support employee well-being on the road.
• High-value routes – Over the past 12 months, the top business travel destinations included New York, Boston, Chicago, London and San Francisco. CFO Takeaway – Concentrated travel routes offer leverage. A managed travel program can help secure better rates and optimize spend through stronger supplier relationships.
• Cost-saving measures – Booking travel more than three weeks in advance can save an average of 17% compared with last-minute bookings. Using preferred suppliers can reduce costs by 10–15% through volume-based discounts. CFO Takeaway – Even in uncertain economic conditions, embedding strategic cost-saving measures into travel policies to turn spending into ROI while maintaining financial discipline.
• External factors – Despite forecasts of 6-7% compound growth, the travel industry remains volatile due to new tariffs, immigration policies, and travel bans. CFO Takeaway – Travel is as much a risk management concern as it is a cost one. Diversifying supplier agreements, leveraging hedging strategies and forming strong travel partnerships are key to long-term stability.
• Strategic alignment – Partnering with a travel management company provides real-time reporting, supplier leverage, and policy compliance at scale. CFO Takeaway – With the right partnership, travel spend becomes a strategic asset. CFOs can unlock cash flow, drive productivity, improve employee satisfaction, reduce operating costs, and fuel growth.