Navan Finds Business Travel Demand and Expectations are Rising, But T&E Friction Persists

45% of surveyed managers still perform some expense review, approval or reconciliation manually.

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11/05/2026 - 09:00 AM EST

58% of travelers expect to travel more in 2027, while 45% of managers still perform some expense processes manually

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Navan (NASDAQ: NAVN), the global AI-powered business travel and expense platform, today released the eighth annual State of Corporate Travel and Expense Report, in partnership with Skift.

Navan released the eighth annual State of Corporate Travel and Expense Report, in partnership with Skift.

This year’s report reveals 87% of travelers and 89% of travel and finance managers consider business travel essential or necessary, and 58% of travelers expect to travel more in 2027. Yet manual work, fragmented technologies, and differing traveler and manager priorities continue to create friction across T&E. While 83% of travelers feel positive about business trips overall, just 73% feel positive about the logistics of booking, changing, expensing, and getting support for those trips.

Together, the findings point to what the report calls a travel and expense identity crisis: Many companies are racing ahead with AI and automation, while other travelers and managers remain stuck with disconnected tools and manual processes.

“Business travel is growing, but the systems supporting it are not always keeping pace,” said Kim Hamer, Chief Travel Advisory Officer at Navan. “Companies have an opportunity to eliminate repetitive work, connect the travel and expense journey, and use AI where it creates the most value—while preserving human support for the moments that matter most.”

Key Trends from the 2027 State of Corporate Travel and Expense Report:

With business travel still considered essential, more growth is expected.

49% of travelers took six or more business trips in the 12 months ended August 2026, up from 40% two years before.
58% expect to travel more in 2027.
71% expect to attend more meetings and events with colleagues in 2027.

Travelers and managers see different pain points.

Travel disruptions are a top concern for 58% of travelers—nearly twice the 31% of managers who identify disruptions as a leading traveler concern. The 27-percentage-point gap suggests managers may be underestimating how much disruptions shape the traveler experience.
75% of travelers still sometimes book off their company’s platform, despite a 7 percentage point improvement over two years. Managers overestimate how often travelers cite each reason for the behavior.

Automation is increasing, but manual work remains.

45% of managers describe their expense process as highly or fully automated.
An equal share still performs some review, approval, or reconciliation manually.
Nearly half of travelers spend at least an hour filing an expense report, while 21% spend two hours or more.

AI is reshaping T&E, but human support still matters.

58% of managers have access to AI-powered fraud detection, and 54% can view unified T&E data in real time.
35% still export data to spreadsheets to identify savings.
During a disruption, 45% of travelers call a person immediately, while just 5% manage the situation entirely through self-service.

Companies want a unified experience, but switching remains a barrier.

79% of managers and 76% of travelers want a unified T&E solution.
Though concerns about training and disruption have dropped since 2025, concerns about cost remain.

See the full report and learn more about the state of corporate travel and expense at https://navan.com/resources/reports/state-of-corporate-travel-and-expense-2027.

Methodology

The 2027 State of Corporate Travel and Expense Report is based on 1,752 responses collected in August 2026, including 994 business travelers and 758 corporate travel and finance managers. Respondents were based across the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany and represented 20 industry sectors.

About Navan

Navan (NASDAQ: NAVN) is the global AI-powered business travel and expense platform that makes travel easy for frequent travelers. From finding flights and hotels to automating expense reconciliation, with 24/7 support along the way, Navan delivers an intuitive experience travelers love and finance teams rely on. See how Navan customers benefit and learn more at navan.com.