At a recent Utah Business Travel Association event, where more than 90 professionals gathered for the organization’s largest-ever meeting, leaders from across the travel management industry gathered to discuss the future of travel management companies (TMCs).
A panel featuring experts from some of the most prominent TMCs—both digitally native firms and long-standing professional service agencies—responded to a variety of questions from moderator Michael Lyons. Their candid and engaging discussion offered a thoughtful blend of agreement and differing perspectives, reflecting both a shared optimism and distinct views about the road ahead.
NDC: From buzzword to business norm
The panel kicked off with a spirited debate about New Distribution Capability (NDC)—a technology standard developed to modernize airfare and airline content distribution.
Question: It seems like the noise around NDC has plateaued. But has it? What’s next for NDC? Will we still be talking about it in five years?
“NDC hasn’t plateaued—it’s just become more commonplace,” said George Kalka, senior vice president at Fox World Travel. “The real benefit is that travelers don’t need to know the difference. The content is just there.”
Gregory Ross, vice president of relationship management at AmTrav, offered a practical example: “If you’ve booked an NDC fare and there’s a weather disruption, our system recognizes airline waivers automatically. No need to call an agent—it just works. That’s the power of integration.”
“A third of our bookings are through the NDC channel already,” shared Kyle Keating, enterprise solutions architect at Navan. The key is technology. If your platform can’t manage NDC fares like any other, that’s where adoption stalls—not because of traveler resistance.”
However, not all TMCs are taking the same approach.
Mike Cameron, CEO of Christopherson Business Travel, highlighted a strategic divergence: “We’re currently prioritizing NDC connections through our GDS partners rather than direct connections. We want to invest where we can make a difference to our travelers, and we’re letting the GDSs focus on the technical integration,” he said. “We’ve prepared our Andavo platform for direct connections, but we’re electing to hold back until we see any benefit.”
Looking ahead, panelists agreed that NDC will soon become the default standard for fare distribution.
“In five years,” Kalka predicted, “we won’t talk about NDC as a disruptor. It’ll just be how we do business. But for now, the lack of standardization across airlines still creates friction.”
Consolidation: Opportunity or risk?
With major acquisitions like American Express GBT’s pending deal with CWT making headlines, panelists debated whether this trend is beneficial or disruptive.
Question: In an environment of less scrutiny around mergers and acquisitions, where do TMCs go from here? What does the competitive landscape look like?
“We’re seeing the natural progression of this industry—fewer companies offering more services, on a more global scale,” Cameron said.
Ross echoed this sentiment, sharing that AmTrav’s recent acquisition by TravelPerk was driven by a need for a strong U.S. presence to support global ambitions. “We can now call ourselves a global TMC,” he said.
“TMCs today must do one of three things: build their own tech, merge with others to access it, or rely on partners,” Keating noted. “That’s the reality now.”
Yet, panelists warned buyers to proceed carefully.
“Mergers can bring innovation, but also disruption,” Kalka cautioned. “Ask your TMCs about their mergers and acquisitions strategy—don’t let someone else’s exit plan derail your program.”
Additionally, Cameron shared knowledge from a recent meeting with BCD Travel’s CEO, who confirmed that their company is not for sale and has a clear succession plan to remain privately held.
“This brings stability that many clients value,” he argued.
Tech vs. touch: Is it really either/or?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerged as another lightning- rod topic. Panelists agreed AI is reshaping the industry but offered different visions of how.
Question: How is AI impacting TMCs? What does AI mean for the TMC workforce?
“AI is everywhere, not just in travel,” Keating said. “In our platform, 60% of chats are resolved by AI without an agent. It’s fast, efficient, and it works.”
Ross highlighted AmTrav’s use of chatbots to triage service requests. “The bot figures out what you need and either provides an answer or routes it to the right agent. It’s a huge time-saver.”
Still, panelists were careful not to position AI as a full replacement for human service.
“AI today should be additive,” Kalka emphasized. “Most travelers still want human oversight. That comfort matters.”
Cameron concurred, calling AI “an augmentation, not a replacement for good customer service.”
“We’re using AI in software development and customer service, but we’re cautious,” he said, also warning against investing in the wrong tech. “Don’t buy Pets.com when you could’ve had Amazon.”
Even excluding AI, the travel technology landscape is evolving rapidly, and the message from these leaders is clear: The future of business travel isn’t about choosing between technology and service—it’s about blending both.
Question: Beyond AI, what’s the future of travel technology?
For Ross, customer feedback continues to drive product innovation.
“We send out a survey after every single trip,” he explained. “Luckily we get responses, and I look at every single one of them.”
The data has made it clear that travelers value flexibility and convenience.
“A lot of the comments are compliments on the online booking tool,” he said, noting key features like booking multiple carriers on one itinerary, choosing Pay Now hotel rates, and filtering out non-refundable options.
Keating acknowledged that while end-to-end solutions are gaining traction, TMCs and human agents are still essential.
“I don’t think TMCs are going anywhere. I don’t think service agents are going anywhere,” he said. “But end-to-end solutions are the North Star. Whether you’re a buyer or a traveler, you’ll want one place to do everything.”
Kalka shared another key perspective: Self-service is in demand—but it should complement, not replace, human support.
“Travelers continue to ask for more self-service options,” he said. “It’s not to replace the service aspect, but there’s a lot of demand for that.”
He also emphasized the importance of multi-source data aggregation.
“More investment is needed around data sources, not just relying on your TMC’s data,” he explained. “You need supplier data, expense reporting, Salesforce, HR tools—platforms that help buyers bring all of that together to truly visualize their travel program.”
Cameron offered a big-picture view of where the industry is heading.
“In the travel business, people have traditionally said that you either follow the online booking path OR the full-service path,” he said. “But really, you should have both, a modern digital experience, seamlessly combined with high touch service; software AND a service.”
The talent equation: People still power the platform
Despite the rise of automation, panelists unanimously agreed that people still matter—especially in servicing complex travel needs and cultivating strong client relationships.
Question: How are your companies attracting and retaining talent?
“Our agents are incentivized solely on customer satisfaction,” said Keating. “We also design agent platforms that don’t require knowing legacy GDS systems because Gen Z isn’t going to learn Sabre Red.”
Ross described AmTrav’s approach of recruiting customer service professionals from other industries and training them with easy-to-use back-end tools.
“We don’t need everyone to know Sabre,” he said. “That opens the door to great talent who might’ve never considered travel before.”
Kalka highlighted culture and benefits as retention tools.
“We measure engagement and invest heavily in flexibility, remote work, and well-being,” he said. “It’s a deliberate strategy, and we’ve kept turnover in the low single digits.”
Lastly, Cameron explained that relationships are central to Christopherson’s customer service, and its recruiting and retention.
“Relationships matter,” he said. “Whether it’s clients, employees, or recruitment—keeping strong connections is our edge.”
He continued, “We have concentrations of employees in five states. My wife and I go out and hold employee dinners to make sure that we have personal relationships with the people that work for us and strengthen those personal touch points. With regards to recruiting, again, relationships matter. Our best hires are referrals from our team members.”
Ross, who once worked at Christopherson, then chimed in:
“When I worked for Mike, he was always very concerned about his employees. Everything he said is absolutely 100% true.”
The road ahead: Human and digital convergence
As technology accelerates and customer expectations climb, one truth remained clear: The future of travel management is not about choosing between technology and service. It’s about mastering both.
Cameron succinctly captured the session’s overarching message: The future is convergence.
“Digital native players want to be more like professional service players, and we want to be more like the digital players. The most successful TMCs will be those who do both—seamlessly,” he explained. “Our strategy is to build the most up-to-date, modern digital platform and layer it with our heritage in professional service.”
If this panel’s discussion is any indication, TMCs aren’t going away—they’re evolving to meet the demands of a smarter, faster, and more connected travel landscape. In fact, the future of travel management is brighter and more dynamic than ever.
► You’ll also like: Q&A with Christopherson’s CEO, Mike Cameron
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