SAP CONCUR Seventh Annual Global Business Travel Survey Uncovers Three Employee Spending Behaviours on the Road

Business travellers are redefining how they manage expenses on the road, blending a desire for comfort with practical cost-saving measures. But how do travellers spend their company’s money while travelling? Is there a new cost awareness? New data suggests that business travellers have two travel personas: one for work and another for vacation.

According to the latest research from SAP Concur which surveyed 3,750 business travellers in 24 markets, out of which 750 respondents were from Australia, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore, revealed that nearly half (45%) of business travellers in Asia Pacific region expect travel budgets to stagnate or decrease in 2025. A further 87% report cuts to allowances over the past year.

This is what SAP Concur data reveals about spending behaviour in 2025 in Asia Pacific:

1. Travellers making the most of their travel allowance

Most business travellers (85%) have recently started taking steps to make ends meet at the end of a business trip – ranging from making sure not to overspend on daily allowances to making the most of freebies. A significant 43% eat cheaper meals in order to underspend on their per diem, while nearly a third (31%) prepare their own meals rather than dining out. Some business travellers also benefit by taking leftover food and drinks (25%) and packing the complimentary amenities from hotels and conferences (27%) to return home with. There are clear generational differences: 96% of Gen-Z travellers take steps to make the most of their travel allowance, compared to 88% of millennials and 75% of Gen X. 

2. Travellers splash the cash on business trips

Different spending patterns apply on a business versus a private trip. Just over one in three employees (36%) opt for higher quality hotels or premium rooms when travelling for work, while nearly two out of five (37%) book direct flights, even if they’re more expensive. They’re also more likely to take private transport options, such as Uber rides (36%) and spend more dining in nicer restaurants (32%).  The generations most likely to adjust their spending behaviour are Gen Z (95%) and millennials (89%), followed by 69% of Gen X. 

3. Travellers will spend their own money on upgrades

Travel budget cuts are affecting the experienced travellers have on the road. While employees try to make the most of their travel policy, the majority of travellers (87%) are also willing to spend their own money to enhance a trip. Younger employees are more likely to invest in their experience, with 96% of Gen-Z and 91% of millennial travellers willing to spend their own funds on upgrades, compared to 77% of Gen X.  

Travellers will pay their way for perks including higher-quality accommodations (41%), an additional hotel night to avoid a long travel day (38%), and seating upgrades (37%). They are also willing to shell out for more sustainable travel options (29%), more expensive routes that avoid layovers or use their preferred airport (31%), or preferred airlines or hotels (32%).

Integrated travel management solutions offer companies the ability to define travel policies and set booking categories to guide booking behaviour. Friendly nudging with suggestions for cheaper or preferred providers with whom companies have negotiated particularly favourable terms can also help provide employees with the greatest possible convenience without paying exorbitant amounts. Find more insights in the Seventh Annual Global Business Travel Survey from SAP Concur.

The SAP Concur Global Business Travel Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research between April 30th and May 12th, 2025, among 3,750 business travellers in 24 markets: U.S., Canada, UK, Germany, France, Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg), Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Italy, Spain, ANZ (Australia, New Zealand), Middle East (UAE & Saudi Arabia), Japan, Korea, India, Mexico, Brazil, SEA (Singapore & Malaysia), South Africa, Portugal, Switzerland, and Austria.

In addition, 700 travel managers were interviewed across 7 markets: Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan, ANZ (Australia and New Zealand), UK, and U.S.

The research also covers the perspective of 600 CFOs across 6 markets: Germany, Canada, Japan, ANZ (Australia and New Zealand), UK, and U.S.