At the beginning of 2025, SAP Concur leaders rolled out bold predictions on how the year would unfold for business travel and finance professionals. Now that we’re well past the halfway mark, it’s the perfect time to ask: how close did those predictions come to reality?
Prediction #1: Cooling Inflation Will Open Up More Travel Opportunities
What SAP Concur expected:
Post-pandemic inflation in 2023 led to higher spending in 2024. Data from Concur Expense showed business travel was rebounding: domestic air trips rose 3%, international trips by nearly 6%, and expense transactions surged 13% year-over-year. With inflation expected to cool in 2025, it was predicted that companies would be able to stretch their T&E (Travel & Expense) budgets further.
Whathappened:
This came true! Concur Expense data shows that average transaction costs have remained flat—or even dipped slightly—across most categories. The SAP Concur 7th Annual Global Business Travel Survey revealed:
- 89% of business travelers
- 93% of travel managers
- 90% of CFOs
expect travel budgets to either grow or remain unchanged.For Indian corporations expanding globally, this is great news. With flight prices stabilizing (as per the Global Business Travel Forecast), companies can finally plan more ambitious travel programs without fear of runaway costs.
Prediction #2: Generative AI Will Gain Trust as a Travel Partner
What SAP Concur expected:
2025 would be the year of cautious optimism for AI. Business travelers were expected to use AI for recommendations and anomaly detection but hesitate to trust it fully for bookings and expense submissions.
What happened:
The tide has turned faster than expected! According to the 2025 CFO Insights survey:
- 57% of finance departments are using AI to automate tasks like emails, transcription, and summaries (up from just 7% in 2024).
- AI adoption for pricing models jumped from 5% to 22%.
- Fraud monitoring through AI rose from 28% to 45%.
Among travel managers, skepticism has dipped: only 24% (down from 32% last year) feel AI can’t handle bookings. Meanwhile, 88% of travelers globally say they’d trust AI with at least some travel tasks like booking, rebooking, or expense management.
But Indians remain pragmatic: travelers want strong data protection (45%), proper training (39%), and assurance against bias (36%) before fully embracing AI-driven travel.
Prediction #3: Finance Leaders Will Drive Cross-Functional Tech Collaboration
What SAP Concur expected:
CFOs were expected to take the lead in bridging finance, IT, and HR—focusing on innovation, ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance), and cybersecurity while adapting to hybrid work and increased travel.
What happened:
Finance leaders are indeed stepping up:
- 96% of CFOs rate themselves as excellent/good at cross-functional collaboration.
- 89% of HR and 88% of IT leaders agree that finance leaders communicate effectively.
- 60% of CFOs rank cybersecurity as a top investment.
- 48% are focusing on ESG-driven growth (up from 30% in 2024).
But challenges remain:
- Only 9% of CFOs believe growth leadership should be shared across the C-suite.
- Just 20% plan to deepen collaboration with IT on cybersecurity, despite higher budgets.
- 54% of IT leaders want finance to step up in digital transformation.
- 57% of HR leaders flag lack of data transparency as the biggest roadblock.
For Indian businesses scaling globally, this highlights a key lesson: collaboration across departments isn’t optional—it’s the bedrock of future-ready organizations.
Prediction #4: TMC Consolidation & NDC Will Reshape Travel, But ‘Bleisure’ Refuses to Fade
What SAP Concur expected:
SAP Concur foresaw more Travel Management Company (TMC) consolidation, with airlines benefiting from NDC (New Distribution Capability)—offering personalization, bundling, and continuous pricing. At the same time, they predicted a slowdown in “bleisure” (business + leisure) trips.
What happened:
- Consolidation is on: Amex GBT and CWT’s merger is a sign of things to come.
- NDC adoption is inching forward, but content fragmentation is still a major pain point—91% of agencies juggle 4+ booking systems; half handle 7+.
- Contrary to predictions, bleisure remains strong. Millennials and Gen Z employees, in particular, continue to blend personal travel with work trips. While 25% of companies restrict this, 27% of employees have adopted it as a cost-saving hack for personal travel.
For India’s rising workforce, especially younger professionals, this trend is especially relevant: travel remains more than just work—it’s a lifestyle.
Final Thoughts: The Big Picture for India and Beyond
As 2025 races ahead, SAP Concur’s predictions have largely come true:
- Inflation is easing, making travel more affordable.
- AI has moved from cautious curiosity to mainstream adoption.
- CFOs are emerging as collaboration champions, though execution gaps remain.
- Travel consolidation and NDC adoption continue, while bleisure thrives against all odds.
The big takeaway? In today’s interconnected world, adaptability is everything. Accurate forecasting isn’t just about spotting trends—it’s about preparing organizations to evolve with them. For Indian businesses striving to grow globally, this means building systems, relationships, and technologies that are resilient, collaborative, and future-ready.