Business travel to soar with 45% of corporates forecast to spend more in FY26

Comments by Chris Galanty, FCTG Global Corporate CEO:

“There’s no question corporate travel is deemed to be a non-discretionary spend for businesses as a critical facet to surviving and thriving worldwide – this is now evidenced by a significant percentage of our customers planning to increase their travel spend in FY26,” said Galanty.

“These figures paint a positive picture for the world of business travel in the new financial year.

“Significant technology advancements in AI through our Centre of Excellence, combined with an uplift in the utilisation of FCM Platform and Melon, have enabled us to automate the ordinary, allowing us to provide our customers with the extraordinary.

“Companies, whether they be large multi-nationals, SMEs or start-up businesses, are vital to economies across the globe, and it’s with great pride that we get to deliver our unique blend of the expertise of our people and our innovative technology to service them in their aspirations.”

Australia-based FCM Travel and Corporate Traveller Global COO, Melissa Elf, said, despite the global headwinds of FY25, FCTG's corporate business had delivered another year of record TTV, and performance in the Australian market has been solid, achieving year-on-year profit growth.

“The fact that our flagship corporate brands, FCM and Corporate Traveller, have been able to produce record levels of transaction values and continue to grow profit in Australia is a real feat, considering we've faced quite a challenging year across the industry,”

“We have invested over many years in preparation for days such as these - not just to weather the storms that inevitably come, but to continue to grow and thrive through them.  

“Our focus on productive operations and the world-leading customer service our corporate brands deliver has seen us through a dramatically changing global trade environment, major conflicts, various travel disruptions, and a tight economy across the board.    

“We've made leaps in our technology and AI offering, including the launch of innovative new products, like our Sam AI tool, as an example, that customers are benefiting from, responding positively to, and that are creating strong productivity growth across our teams.  

“Similarly, we’ve led the way with the implementation of New Distribution Capability – one of the most significant innovations we’ve seen in the way airlines distribute tickets to customers – which is providing greater access to content and savings for many thousands of customers.  

“We have a positive outlook for the upcoming fiscal year, as we are integrating new technology and attracting new business, with current customers telling us they plan to travel more and increase their spend this year.”

APAC

Comments by Melissa Elf, FCM Travel and Corporate Traveller Global COO:

“The fact that our flagship corporate brands, FCM and Corporate Traveller, have been able to produce record levels of transaction values and continue to grow profit in Australia is a real feat, considering we've faced quite a challenging year across the industry,” said Elf.

“We have invested over many years in preparation for days such as these - not just to weather the storms that inevitably come, but to continue to grow and thrive through them.  

“Our focus on productive operations and the world-leading customer service our corporate brands deliver has seen us through a dramatically changing global trade environment, major conflicts, various travel disruptions, and a tight economy across the board.    

“We've made leaps in our technology and AI offering, including the launch of innovative new products, like our Sam AI tool, as an example, that customers are benefiting from, responding positively to, and that are creating strong productivity growth across our teams.   
“Similarly, we’ve led the way with the implementation of New Distribution Capability – one of the most significant innovations we’ve seen in the way airlines distribute tickets to customers – which is providing greater access to content and savings for many thousands of customers.  

“We have a positive outlook for the upcoming fiscal year, as we are integrating new technology and attracting new business, with current customers telling us they plan to travel more and increase their spend this year.”

AMER

Comments by Charlene Leiss, President of the Americas for FCTG:

“It’s been a truly transformative year for the business – one defined by growth, innovation, and efficiency,” said Leiss.

“Our flagship business travel divisions, Corporate Traveller and FCM Travel, expanded our corporate footprint and increased our market share across the country.

“In Corporate Traveller, customer adoption of our Melon platform grew significantly, accelerating our expansion in the Americas and reinforcing our digital leadership. TTV across the USA and Canada were a pillar of our results – with Canada achieving a profit personal best for the second year in a row.

“We also prioritised expansion in specialist SME sectors, resulting in strategic account wins across industries, including life sciences, finance, technology, sports, and entertainment. Our ability to expertly navigate the complexities and fast-paced nature of these industries has been integral to our continued success.

“On the FCM side, we continued executing on strategic priorities that position us for sustained success globally – this led to substantial growth in profit and allowed us to accelerate market share across the Americas as we position ourselves as the genuine alternative in the market.

“A mix of new global business wins and the onboarding of key multinational clients led to FCM becoming FCTG’s largest brand by total TTV during its milestone 20th anniversary year.

“Our growth was supported by our continued investment in Productive Operations, a strategic initiative aimed at enhancing the customer experience, reducing costs, optimising revenue, and unlocking new opportunities. We also expanded our specialist offerings through FCM Meetings & Events and FCM Consulting, providing a more comprehensive suite of services to clients.

“Our AI Strategy and Integration team continued to drive innovation across the business, leveraging AI-driven solutions to streamline operations and enhance value for customers.

“The team was integral in the recent relaunch of ‘Sam’, our revolutionary AI-powered travel assistant within the FCM Platform, designed to offer more personalised, efficient, and seamless travel solutions. In the future, we remain committed to integrating advanced AI technologies across both FCM and Melon platforms to enrich the customer experience further.

“We have also enhanced our NDC content by improving functionality and strengthening our distribution technology. This strategic embrace of NDC helps us stay at the forefront of an evolving industry, ensuring we continue to meet the changing needs of travellers and partners.

“With leisure, we focused on growth in the independent and luxury sectors, through Envoyage and Scott Dunn. Over the past year, we also completed the full launch of Envoyage.

“This included the debut of a Group Centre division in the U.S, as well as the rebranding of Liberty Travel and the integration of its U.S. operations. Our continued investment in Scott Dunn also positions us firmly to capitalise on the U.S. luxury travel market.

“As we look ahead, we remain deeply committed to supporting our customers and driving meaningful, positive change across the travel industry.”