Travel preferences vary sharply across generations, according to the SAP Concur 2025 Global Business Travel Survey of 3,750 business travelers across 24 markets. Among the findings

• Different expectations: 58% of Gen Z and 53% of millennials say their current business travel frequency doesn’t match their preference, compared with just 27% of baby boomers. 
• Budget optimism meets budget cuts: Younger travelers are more likely to expect travel budget increases this year, but also more likely to say that important business trips are cut or significantly reduced due to costs.
  • Older generations are more likely to hold the belief that cuts to travel budgets largely show up as small changes to all trips (Gen Z: 56%, millennials: 57%, Gen X: 65%, baby boomers: 75%) 
• Tech-forward travelers: Over 90% of Gen Z and millennials say they’d be comfortable using AI to plan trips, compared with 71% of baby boomers.
  • Older generations are also skeptical that AI is being used to falsify travel expenses or receipts, with 35% of Gen X and 47% of baby boomers saying that it is not at all likely.    
• Personal investment: 93% of Gen Z and 88% of millennials are willing to spend their own money to upgrade business travel, compared with 74% of Gen X and 62% of baby boomers.
  • Younger generations are more likely than older colleagues to say that they have started doing things during business travel to save money or stretch the budget, including eating cheaper meals to save on the per diem or travel allowance, or using their personal card or rewards programs to earn points or miles. 

These shifts, according to the research, mean that travel programs can no longer be a one-size-fits-all approach. Companies that adapt to the priorities and expectations of business travelers will gain a competitive edge in attracting and retaining talent.