Notable results from the survey on the current negotiation climate include:
- Less than a quarter (23%) of buyers report that over the past year it was easy to obtain favorable hotel rates, while only 18% say it was easy to secure favorable air discounts.
- European-based travel buyers are particularly challenged in the lodging arena. Nearly three-quarters (74%) say it was “somewhat” or “very” difficult to get favorable rates in the past year. This compares with about half (47%) of North American-based buyers with the same opinion.
- When asked to pick two categories that will prove most challenging when it comes to securing favorable terms in the next two years, most respondents pick air (69%) and hotel (56%).
- Despite this outlook, more than four in five travel managers (84%) say their company will conduct hotel Request for Proposals (RFPs) within the next year.
For example, said Ragge, the survey sees more companies taking extra steps to uncover and compile the entirety of their lodging data in the quest to maximize the value of their business to preferred hotel partners. In this environment, he said, “the ability to cumulatively bring transient, meeting and extended stay volume together — the core elements of convergence — is a necessary launching point for 2024 supplier negotiations.”
Other survey results included:
- While travel programs meet with some stakeholders regularly (54%) — like finance/accounting and sustainability — they typically meet with others on an as-needed basis. In particular, travel programs do not have regular meetings with meetings management and HR departments. Only one-third (32%) of travel programs meet with these stakeholders on a regular basis.
- Programs can negotiate with hotels for multiple products, segments and services (e.g., room nights, meeting space, room blocks or extended stay) at the same time or using the same technology. Most travel managers (54%) think their company would achieve greater process or savings efficiencies via use of convergence, while only one in 10 say they would not.
- Roughly half of travel managers (47%) say enabling travelers to book multiple segments on one platform would increase traveler satisfaction at their company.

“Travel managers increasingly recognize that convergence should be a significant element of their program approach moving forward,” said Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA. “By collaborating with internal partners in key areas, they can facilitate even more value, cost savings and efficiency for their company, while also driving increased satisfaction among their business travelers.”
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