How AI is (Re)Shaping Business Travel: A Conversation with McKinsey
Release Date: 12/15/2023
Personalisation Technology Trends in Accommodation
The Business of Travel
In this episode of The Business of Travel, the GBTA Europe Accommodation Committee explores how technology is shaping personalisation across the accommodation experience in business travel. Hosted by Daniel Norris, Regional Director of Sales at ehotel and members of the GBTA Europe Accommodation Committee, the conversation brings together perspectives from across the business travel ecosystem, including travel management, accommodation providers, and hotel operations. Together, the panel discusses how personalisation is evolving beyond traveller preference...
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Digital Accessibility in Business Travel: From Compliance to Competitive Advantage
The Business of Travel
Digital accessibility is often treated as a compliance checkbox—but in reality, it’s a complex, evolving discipline with direct implications for risk, customer experience, and operational efficiency. In this episode, a Product Manager and Accessibility Compliance lead at Cytric Easy at Amadeus IT Group (Nick Hebrant) breaks down what accessibility actually means in practice. The conversation demystifies WCAG 2.1 accessibility guidelines, clarifying that they are not rigid standards but guidelines—introducing interpretation, subjectivity, and inconsistency across organizations and...
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BTI en foco: Tendencias de viajes de negocios en América Latina / BTI findings for Latin America and share perspective from Visa
The Business of Travel
Nota: Este episodio está disponible en español. En este episodio de The Business of Travel, Mariana Pérez Ponce de León, Regional Director, Mexico, Central America and Colombia de GBTA, y Daniel Duarte, South Regional Manager de GBTA, conversan con Alfredo Dellepiane, Sr. Director – LAC Agro & WCS Head, Visa Commercial Solutions, LAC, sobre los hallazgos más recientes del GBTA Business Travel Index™ para América Latina. La conversación explora el crecimiento de los viajes de negocios en la región, las tendencias por mercado, la percepción de los viajeros, la gestión de...
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2026 Hotel RFP Trends presented by the US GBTA Accommodations Committee
The Business of Travel
In this episode of The Business of Travel, presented by the GBTA U.S. Accommodations Committee, Fred Veliyev, Principal Product Manager at Cvent Transient, David Mollov, Managing Director of Travel Industry Solutions at Emburse, and Annette Cumming, SVP Business Development at CerebriAI, discuss the key trends that emerged from the 2026 hotel RFP season. The conversation explores what buyers should know as they evaluate hotel program performance, supplier strategy, sourcing decisions, and the evolving technologies shaping accommodation programs. Listeners...
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GBTA Board View: Are You Ready for Convention?
The Business of Travel
The GBTA Convention annually brings together thousands of business travel professionals to connect, learn, grow and shape the future of the global industry. So, what can attendees expect at GBTA Convention 2026 in Chicago, August 3-5, and how can they make the most of their experience? In this podcast, Alison Rogan, Vice President of the GBTA Board of Directors and Head of Travel, Events and Expense Management at HSBC; Kevin Sullivan, Treasurer of the GBTA Board of Directors and Managing Director of Sales at Southwest Business; and Edward Galvin, President of the GBTA Allied Leadership Council...
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Small Meetings, Big Footprint
The Business of Travel
Simple meetings may represent the majority of meeting volume, but they often remain the least visible, least controlled, and most difficult to measure. In this three-part podcast series from the GBTA Europe Meetings & Events Committee, Jason Long, Senior Vice President of Global Business Development at HRS, speaks with industry leaders about how organisations are tackling data gaps, improving compliance, and using technology and AI to build more effective and measurable meetings programmes. Across the series, listeners will gain practical insight into sustainability reporting, financial...
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Smarter Meetings Management via Integrated Technology
The Business of Travel
Simple meetings may represent the majority of meeting volume, but they often remain the least visible, least controlled, and most difficult to measure. In this three-part podcast series from the GBTA Europe Meetings & Events Committee, Jason Long, Senior Vice President of Global Business Development at HRS, speaks with industry leaders about how organisations are tackling data gaps, improving compliance, and using technology and AI to build more effective and measurable meetings programmes. Across the series, listeners will gain practical insight into sustainability reporting, financial...
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AI in Meetings: From Insight to Action
The Business of Travel
Simple meetings may represent the majority of meeting volume, but they often remain the least visible, least controlled, and most difficult to measure. In this three-part podcast series from the GBTA Europe Meetings & Events Committee, Jason Long, Senior Vice President of Global Business Development at HRS, speaks with industry leaders about how organisations are tackling data gaps, improving compliance, and using technology and AI to build more effective and measurable meetings programmes. In this episode - Jason Long speaks with Andrew Needham, CEO of Headbox, about the unescapable role...
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GBTA Europe Tech Committee - Rethinking Corporate Travel with AI
The Business of Travel
AI in corporate travel is no longer theoretical. It is operational. In this episode of Business of Travel, the GBTA Europe Technology Committee takes a practical look at how AI assistants are being deployed across managed travel programs. Host Lenny Hornsby speaks with Johnny Thorsen, a technology leader with hands-on experience implementing AI solutions, about availability, onboarding, ideal client fit, limitations, and measurable impact. The discussion moves beyond buzzwords to address real questions: Where is AI working today? Where does human intervention still...
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GBTA BTI - A View From Europe
The Business of Travel
Diving into the European business travel outlook, using recent data from the GBTA Business Travel Index, our annual global benchmark sponsored by Visa, Chris Ely, Research Director, GBTA sits down with Romain Mialane, Visa, Sales Director, Europe. What you’ll hear: What Europe data really says How payments data adds context What travel managers should be paying attention to as we head into the next planning cycle. Music track is Licensed under Creative Commons:
info_outlineThis is the second episode in GBTA's quarterly series focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) and business travel. This episode explores how airlines and hotels are leveraging AI to improve revenue management, operations, sustainability, and the traveler experience - today. Host Kevin Fliess welcomes Alex Cosmas and Ryan Mann, partners at McKinsey with extensive experience in aviation, hospitality, and digital transformation in the travel industry.
The panel explores how AI empowers businesses and their travelers with streamlined planning and more personalized trip experiences
Alex and Ryan also unpack some of the obstacles around running technology transformation programs and provide practical guidance on how to get started with AI initiatives.
Whether you're an airline executive, a hotel manager, corporate travel manager, or a frequent business traveler, this episode provides essential insights into the future of travel powered by AI.
The Business of Travel Podcast is your ultimate guide to navigating the ever-evolving realm of business travel. Each week, a new episode hosted by seasoned corporate travel professionals presents an engaging and enlightening exploration of key topics shaping the world of business travel today.
The Business of Travel is the official podcast of the Global Business Travel Association. Visit www.gbta.org to learn more.
Host & Guest Info
Kevin Fliess, GBTA
Alex Cosmas, McKinsey
Ryan Mann, McKinsey
Key Topics Discussed
- AI
- Hospitality
- NDC
- Travel Experience
- Decarbonization
If you enjoyed this episode, here are some similar shows
- AI and the Future of Business Travel | GBTA-AI: AI and Business Travel
- GBTA Board View: Reflections & Projections
- Lessons on Fostering Innovation in Travel
Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License