The era of quick fly-in, fly-out trips is coming to an end. Today, it’s not uncommon for travelling professionals to stay in new locations for weeks or even months at a time. As the nature of corporate travel continues to change, so will the needs of your employees. But how can you refine your travel and mobility programmes to align with these critical changes?
This blog will explore the six major corporate travel trends for 2026 — including the evolution of Duty of Care, the demands of ESG reporting, and the rise of self-serve booking workflows — and outline what you must prioritise in 2025 to future-proof your extended-stay strategy.
Why Extended-Stay Travel Is Central to 2025 Strategy
Having a strong travel programme in 2025 means being prepared for a wide spectrum of corporate assignments, including the complex, long-term ones.
From Short-Term Trips to Long-Term Mobility
The landscape of business travel is fundamentally shifting from short trips to comprehensive long-term mobility planning.
This pivot is driven by three key factors: the rise of "bleisure" travel, which means that a two-day conference can easily stretch into a two-week stay; the enduring popularity of hybrid work, which can require employees to travel for weeks or months for specialised training or team collaboration; and the subsequent increase in project-based relocations that are quickly becoming the new norm, making strategic planning for extended stays an absolute must.
The Strategic Role of Global Mobility Managers
As global mobility managers, you’re responsible for:
- Overall compliance: This involves tackling immigration, visa, and local labour laws. For extended stays, it’s making sure that a traveller doesn't inadvertently create a permanent establishment for the company or exceed local tax thresholds.
- ESG goals: With the EU’s new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), companies face heightened pressure to report on their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impact. A significant portion of a company's carbon footprint comes from business travel, especially flights.
- Employee wellbeing: The mental and physical health of employees on extended assignments can’t be overlooked. This means providing comfortable, home-like accommodations, access to wellness facilities, and proactive support for mental health and social connection to combat feelings of isolation.
- Cost control: While the per-night cost of an extended-stay apartment is often lower than a traditional hotel, global mobility teams must also manage all associated expenses, from meals and laundry to local transportation, to ensure overall budget adherence.
Top Corporate Travel Trends for 2026 (Extended-Stay Focus)
To ensure your team's well-being, manage risk effectively, and deliver maximum value, here's a look at the foundational pillars that will future-proof your travel programmes.
1. Duty of Care Standardisation via ISO 31030
A company's duty of care is now guided by the ISO 31030 standard, an internationally recognised framework for travel risk management. It moves beyond simply tracking travellers to a proactive system of risk assessment, preparedness, and real-time support, essential for employees in new and unfamiliar locations.
2. Sustainability and CSRD Reporting Pressures
The CSRD will require companies to provide detailed, verifiable data on their environmental impact. This makes it crucial that your travel programme is designed to capture granular data on emissions and actively favour suppliers with strong sustainability credentials.
3. Data-Driven Programme Management
The days of guesswork are over. Leveraging big data and analytics is key to optimising corporate travel management. This includes everything from forecasting costs and identifying opportunities for savings to tracking traveller satisfaction and ensuring policy compliance in real-time.
4. Self-Serve Booking and Configurable Workflows
Modern business travellers want flexibility and autonomy over travel bookings, but companies still need control. The solution? Self-serve platforms with configurable workflows that allow employees to book within pre-approved policies and budgets, ensuring compliance without sacrificing convenience.
5. Regional Expansion and Tier 2/3 Location Readiness
With decentralised teams and the search for new talent pools, business travel is moving beyond major hubs. Global mobility teams must have the resources and inventory to support employees in smaller, regional cities (Tier 2 and 3 locations).
6. Automation and the Rise of Agentic AI for Corporate Accommodation
Unlike simple chatbots, agentic AI can perform complex, multi-step tasks autonomously. For corporate accommodation, this means an AI agent could not only search for a suitable apartment but also handle the entire end-to-end booking process, from checking availability to coordinating with the employee, all with minimal oversight.
Designing Travel Programmes Around These Trends
Now that you know the key shifts shaping business travel, let's dive into the practical steps for aligning your strategy with these corporate travel industry trends.
What to Prioritise in 2025
Focus on creating a seamless experience for both the traveller and your global mobility team. Here's what to prioritise:
- Implementing a unified platform: Use a single technology to manage bookings, expenses, and data. This consolidation is key to effective cost control and compliance reporting.
- Updating your policies: Revise your travel policies to address the unique needs of extended-stay travellers, including per-diem allowances and family relocation support.
- Managing compliance risk: Utilise automated tools to monitor trip duration and proactively flag potential tax triggers and visa non-compliance risks.
- Mandating holistic wellness support: Establish and ensure access to 24/7 mental health counselling, local wellness facilities, and social connection tools to combat traveller isolation.
- Enhancing sustainable sourcing: Require suppliers to provide granular carbon data for properties to meet CSRD reporting demands and mandate the selection of eco-friendly accommodations.
How Global Mobility Teams Can Adapt
Once these priorities are in motion, your mobility team can shift gears and begin actively driving strategic value for the company. Think about shifting your focus from simple transactions to holistic traveller care. This means investing in advanced tools that provide real-time duty of care alerts, offering pre-trip training, and maintaining open lines of communication with travellers.
How AltoVita Helps Future-Proof Extended-Stay Programmes
AltoVita delivers a powerful booking platform to secure your extended-stay programme for 2025 and beyond.
AltoVerse for Policy-Controlled, Self-Serve Workflows
Give your travellers the freedom they want with the control you need. Our all-in-one platform, AltoVerse, allows employees to browse a curated inventory and book their own stays, all while staying within your pre-set policy parameters.
AltoInsights for Real-Time Analytics and ESG Reporting
Gain unparalleled visibility into your travel spend with AltoInsights. Our real-time analytics dashboards provide the data necessary for strategic decision-making and comprehensive CSRD reporting, helping you meet your sustainability goals.
AltoCurate for Vetted Global Inventory, Including Tier 2/3 Cities
AltoCurate doesn’t simply list any property, we vet every single one. Our curated network ensures high-quality, safe, and comfortable accommodations across 35,000 locations worldwide, including those crucial Tier 2 and 3 locations where your business is expanding.
See the Trends in Action
Explore AltoVita Case Studies
Explore how leading companies are already leveraging these corporate travel trends in 2025 to strengthen their travel programmes and gain a competitive edge.
