Travel managers struggle with booking flexibility and last-minute changes, survey says

Efficiency, seamless systems, and AI tools also shape business travel decisions in SG.

Singaporean travel managers identified flexibility in bookings and cancellations as a top concern with 66.7% flagging this issue whilst 61.1% flagged last-minute changes and cancellations as their main operational challenge, according to SAP Concur’s 2026 Southeast Asia Business Travel Pulse Survey.

High costs were also cited by 48.2% of respondents, above the Southeast Asia (SEA) regional average of 38.6%.

Seamless integration between HR and finance systems is required by 61.8% of Singapore decision-makers, slightly above the regional average of 58%.

AI adoption for optimal itineraries that balance policy, cost, and productivity is reported by 59.3% of respondents, compared with 56.9% regionally.

Hyper-personalisation ranks lower in Singapore, with 42.6% of managers rating it very important, against 52.9% across SEA.

The survey, which covered over 150 travel decision-makers across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines, highlights a shift from focusing solely on cost to measuring “total trip value.”

SAP Concur said the study reflects how corporate travel strategies in Singapore are increasingly focused on operational friction, risk management, and productivity in high-frequency travel environments.

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