10 best travel tech companies for business travel management

Modern tech has unseated the old-fashioned travel agency as the go-to choice for travel management. Convenient apps have replaced long, in-person meetings, tacky brochures, and palm-tree wallpapered travel offices. The new wave of travel tech startups offer a range of solutions, from online booking and flight management to in-app recommendations and travel analytics. 

As helpful as they are at planning vacations, travel tech companies truly shine when managing business trips. Planning corporate travel using travel technology services streamlines the process, allowing managers to organize airfares and hotels while completing expense management and reimbursements in real time from the same platform. 

If your organization is interested in joining the travel tech trend, now is the time. Here are some of the best travel tech companies plus tips on how to get the most from their platforms. 

What’s a travel tech company?

A travel tech company leverages technology, such as AI, smart devices, and algorithmically tailored itineraries, to facilitate travel planning. It’s a rapidly growing industry, projected to generate $10.7 billion USD in revenue by 2030.

These companies enhance the travel experience with the help of their mobile apps and web services. On these travel tech platforms, you can automatically check in for your flights, go over your itinerary options with virtual travel assistants, and process all your transactions seamlessly without the need of paper receipts.

10 best travel tech companies

1. Engine

Engine connects corporate travel managers seeking individual or group accommodations with a global network of hotels, providing exclusive rates and booking options. Engine’s all-in-one platform includes centralized billing functionality, reporting tools, and customizable options to simplify expense management and track spending. 

2. Navan

Navan offers an end-to-end corporate travel and expense management solution. The platform leverages AI to automate airline and hotel reservations while boosting accessibility through its mobile app. 

3. TravelPerk

TravelPerk’s platform specializes in business travel for companies of all sizes. This travel tech company makes it easier for individuals and groups to plan and administer their itineraries efficiently, streamlining bookings and expense management while offering real-time updates. 

4. Way

Way is as much a marketplace as a booking application, providing access to a hotel’s key attractions and recreational offerings. This app simplifies the guest experience by allowing travelers to book everything from restaurants and parking to tours and spa treatments from a single, convenient platform.

5. AltoVita

Specializing in short-term rentals for corporate travelers, AltoVita offers an immersive guest experience at more than a million locations worldwide. The platform’s algorithm and mobile app streamline the booking process while providing comprehensive expense management support.

6. Ukio

Ukio has carved out a niche between the European long-term and short-term rental markets. This travel tech company offers stylish accommodations to business travelers and remote workers who appreciate a designer experience that’s as flexible as it is fashionable. 

7. Behomm

Geared toward designers and creatives, Behomm nurtures a home exchange community that values aesthetics and immersive vacation experiences. The platform aims to build connections between like-minded explorers, using travel accommodations as a cultural exchange.

8. TripAdvisor

A trusted platform across 43 markets, TripAdvisor is a great travel planning option for guests seeking the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions for personal and business trips. It’s best used as a travel review hub that can also assist in managing booking details.

9. Expedia

Expedia is the grand-daddy of travel tech companies, offering access to the best deals on a vast range of services, including flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages. The platform’s interface is intuitive, making it easy for travelers to find, compare, and book services using a single platform. 

10. Airbnb

The original travel industry disruptor, Airbnb offers unique accommodation experiences that bypass traditional hotels. For travelers who value immersion and self-reliance, the Airbnb platform connects them with short-term vacation rentals in home-like spaces around the globe. Keep in mind, however, that Airbnbs have different rules and regulations than many hotels.

How travel tech companies are transforming the industry

Travel and hospitality tech companies constantly find new ways to integrate advancements into their offering. Here are a few ways they leverage emerging technology to enhance traveler convenience, security, and efficiency. 

Personalization

Travel companies are creating more personalized experiences using algorithms to identify traveler preferences. Based on past user behavior and search history, these algorithms curate a list of recommended flights, hotels, and tour experiences. 

Smart booking

Travel planning used to take days, but thanks to technological advances, online travel agencies offer a seamless planning experience in minutes. These platforms use AI-powered systems to compare hotels, tour packages, and flights, identifying the best deals in seconds. Smart booking hubs even notify travelers of price or itinerary changes and offer the convenience of automated booking. 

Contactless travel

Speed is often of the essence in business travel, making a streamlined experience a high priority. Some travel tech startups have introduced contactless check-ins, biometric verification, and digital boarding passes to keep travelers moving. 

Mobile travel apps also reduce stress by updating users on airline delays or cancelations, responding automatically by adjusting itineraries and rebooking flights.

Blockchain security

Business travel is challenging enough without worrying about the security of sensitive files. Blockchain technology addresses the risk of fraud and data breaches by eliminating intermediaries and decentralizing information. As a result, payments and travel document verification data remain secure.

Smart travel options

Thanks to technological advances, vacation and business travel are becoming more eco-friendly. More and more planning and hospitality platforms offer sustainable accommodations while promoting ride-sharing, carbon offsetting, and green tour packages. 

Virtual and augmented reality

Before booking flights and hotels, visitors can take a virtual or augmented reality tour of their destination, identifying points of interest and must-see attractions ahead of time. Once there, AR-powered guides deepen the visitor experience by providing real-time insights into the locale’s history and culture. 

Data analytics

By leveraging big data and predictive analysis, travel companies, hotels, and airlines forecast demand, coordinate pricing strategies, and optimize operations based on real-time trends. These insights produce cost savings they pass on to guests and travelers.

How to optimize your business travel management with tech

The legacy travel management process can be time-consuming and stressful. Here are some tips to help organizations make the switch to a travel tech platform and optimize their business travel.

Identify priorities

Consult with everyone involved in corporate travel, including business travelers, the office manager, and the finance manager. Based on their insights, develop a streamlined booking and expense management process that addresses everyone’s needs.

Use a self-serve booking platform

Save time by using a platform like Engine that allows travelers to book their flights, hotels, and transportation arrangements independently within established policies and protocols. A travel tech platform like Engine lets users:

• Avoid interrupting the office manager for simple bookings
• Navigate planning without complicated emails and approval forms
• Select preferred airlines and hotels
• Participate in cost-saving frequent flier programs
• Ensure compliance with travel policies

Streamline policies and approvals

A corporate travel booking platform integrates a company’s travel guidelines into the process, speeding up approvals and filtering trips based on policy price limits, insurance requirements, and group travel protocols. 

Leverage direct support

Some online travel tech companies can manage your customer support. If there’s an issue outside of office hours, look for a platform offering 24/7 service that can solve it, getting everyone to their destination safely without anyone in your company working overtime.

Maximize travel budgets

Expense management with an online travel tech company saves time by providing managers with immediate insights into bookings and spending rather than waiting for receipts and expense reports. Travel managers can generate accurate and actionable reports on the fly while speeding up the reimbursement process. 

Manage your business travel with Engine

Using a travel tech platform like Engine places efficient travel planning and management at the user's fingertips. Business travelers can book flights, accommodations, and rental vehicles from the convenience of a single platform while getting access to valuable tools to track their expenses and savings. 

Embrace the travel tech revolution on your next business trip. Whether you’re booking corporate travel for a single employee or need reservations for a group, Engine has you covered. With our cost-effective travel options and 24/7 customer support, you can focus on business while we focus on the details.