Now that we’ve all hopefully had some time to rest and recuperate after what was a rather whirlwind year in the world of global business travel and mobility, it’s now our chance to look ahead and get planning for 2026.
I asked ten SilverDoor experts across account management, business development, supply chain, technology, and marketing for what they expect we’ll be seeing more of, less of, or happening differently as we head into the new year. Travel managers, corporate accommodation buyers, and operators can use the advice and predictions as they build and develop their 2026 strategy – keep checking in on our LinkedIn for updates on if these predictions start to come true.
1: Businesses will define and measure the value of a business trip or relocation using different metrics
Value will continue to be a key metric in 2026: not just in the narrow sense of low prices, but in terms of smarter travel decisions that measure success in how travel supports business objectives, how well mobile employees are supported, and how effectively companies can adapt to change.
"What we’re seeing is a renewed appreciation at C-suite level for the tangible value of being together in person. Senior leaders are recognising that face-to-face meetings, training programmes, and development initiatives deliver outcomes that can’t be replicated virtually - outcomes like stronger strategy, faster alignment, or cultural cohesion.
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At the same time, every trip is expected to clearly justify its investment and prove its value by delivering a clear return, in terms of productivity, revenue, or employee engagement. This is where we see the strongest growth in longer-stay, higher-quality accommodation solutions that support people to work effectively, rest well, and remain productive while away from home. Understandably, there's still a degree of caution. Ongoing geopolitical tensions, regional conflict, and economic uncertainty mean organisations are carefully balancing the opportunities of a mobile workforce with the potential risks of travel. Caution doesn't have to mean stagnation - instead it calls for more flexibility, agility, and smarter decision-making, which will ultimately mean more considered and strategic solutions in 2026." Emma Horton, Senior Client Programme Manager |
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2: More route-specific visa processes to help get applications approved more quickly
Any travel/relocation manager knows that visa application and approval processes can often present the biggest challenges when organising a transfer. Complete information can be difficult to pinpoint as it varies by situation; approval processes may be delayed, which can impact temporary housing and transportation bookings, and every country has slightly different requirements to get your head around.
Continuing to rely on a single, generic visa policy may be creating unnecessary delays. Introducing a more tailored approach in 2026 could significantly streamline processes and improve efficiency.
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“Collate a list of your most common transfer routes (the top origin and destination countries of your transfers) and formalise route-by-route visa processes and policies for each pair. Whether your frequent transfers are between your headquarters and a few training sites, or between the projects in a long-term infrastructure contract, creating corridor-specific visa workflows for whichever countries your people are moving between most will minimise friction and speed up the process. Opting for a more tailored and flexible approach and strategy that accounts for country-specific processes and requirements means your travel teams can follow clear guidelines for key locations, and your assignees can navigate the system more efficiently.” Estelle Ho, Global Account Director |
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3: More brand consolidation is creating a split supply chain landscape
When it comes to choice and consistency across the supply chain, there are several connected trends at play as we head into 2026. Of course, individual markets see their own area-specific micro trends but there does seem to be a key global shift happening.
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“There seems to be a split happening in the supply chain, leaving more of a two-sided supply landscape where big operators are getting bigger as they have the resources to innovate their offering and expand at scale globally, while the smaller, boutique operators are able to excel locally and offer the alternative accommodation solutions that franchise brands can’t. This is why in 2026 we may see more of the larger franchise operators consolidating with some of the smaller brands that are less able to scale on their own, meaning the corporate benefits from both the consistency and standardisation of large, multi-market operators, as well as the niche, bespoke solutions in more local markets. An agency partner allows corporates to compare all available models within the growing serviced accommodation supply chain with ease and find the best option for each request.” Alex Neale, Chief Supply Officer |
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4: Expanded supplier networks, including niche and emerging destinations
Wider geopolitical and economic shifts have demanded corporates and corporate travel managers maintain an agile approach to operations and programmes to safeguard both customer and supply chain networks. This has led to a broader approach to travel programme management from a supplier perspective, as buyers are now expanding their supply chain to both minimise risk and maintain programme efficiency.
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"While demand for major global hubs will always be there, we expect to see more corporates take advantage of comparably lower rates and flexibility from emerging and tertiary destinations that are keen to attract investment and grow booking volumes. In time, we expect supply in these locations to increase in line with demand so that travel buyers and managers will be able to expand and evolve their supply chain even further." Sofia Oragano, Vice President Business Development |
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5: Fewer international moves, more domestic mobility
If we learnt anything from 2025, it’s that things can change quickly and unexpectedly. For international travel in particular, assignees and travel managers are at the mercy of travel bans or restrictions, delayed or cancelled flights, challenges around visas, and various other unexpected changes that can make global transfers that bit trickier to organise. We’ll always need international travel, but might businesses be planning a slightly different approach for their moves in 2026?
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“We predict more businesses will rein in international travel and mobility, when possible, in favour of more domestic moves. In many ways, domestic mobility is easier and more reliable than cross-border travel: no visas to organise or be delayed by, less risk of travel bans or disruption, and more cost saving opportunities. Travel managers are more likely to have a greater knowledge of their local market and stronger relationships with local suppliers, so they’ll have better negotiation and buying power, and more specific support and recommendations for guests when organising domestic moves.” Jake Duggan, Client Programme Manager |
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6: Personalised policy updates to keep pace with modern travellers and drive policy compliance
We expect to see more hyper-personalised and traveller-centric policy updates in 2026, as businesses try to align their travel and accommodation policies with the needs of today’s business traveller, as well as the broader range of options available in the modern temporary accommodation market. Ultimately, if policies better reflect the needs of your employees, policy compliance will naturally improve so it’s a win-win from a governance perspective.
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“Employees are increasingly expecting their business travel experience to mirror the convenience and comfort of leisure travel, so corporate policies might evolve beyond cost control and safety compliance to also consider traveller satisfaction, rest, and productivity. This could mean formalising guidelines around in-unit workspace standards, proximity to offices, or access to wellness amenities. Other ways to make policies more specific and inclusive could include different guidelines for solo or neurodivergent travellers, and location-specific safety and security standards.” Ross Knipe, Business Development Manager |
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This comment has also been featured on The Business Travel Magazine and can be found here.
7: An evolution of the way mobility programmes are structured and operated in the US
Research shows that 2025 saw a more than 27% YoY increase in corporate mobility assignments to the US, and we were happy to source housing for many global mobility requests into and within the States. The sector is clearly growing and evolving; what changes do businesses, agents and mobility managers need to prepare for in 2026?
"We've continued to see a shift towards more lump sum and stipend packages as a tactic to keep overall relocation or mobility costs down, or managed cap programs which support more of a balance between cost containment and assignee experience.
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“This represents a changing buyer demographic: assignees organizing their own transfers with a lump sum or stipend package typically need a different type of support and booking journey. Self-service platforms that eliminate unnecessary friction and admin for self-bookers are now essential to effectively fulfilling this demand. As well as program delivery, when organizing moves and permanent transfers businesses must ensure contracts and policies are compliant with local jurisdiction laws. For example, employers will need to revise relocation repayment clauses and reconsider mobility benefit structures in line with California’s new bill which prohibits “stay or pay” contracts.” Robert Wyatt, Senior Vice President Account Management |
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8: More clients wanting programme-wide emissions data
Programme compliance has expanded to include more key metrics beyond cost and health and safety: emissions data particularly gained traction in 2025 from a programme procurement perspective, with one corporate client mandating Carbon Calculator emissions data for every property on their preferred programme.
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“We’re already in the process of formalising emissions mandates across our programmes with several major multinational corporates, as businesses are keen to understand the carbon footprint of their temporary accommodation. There might be more trading off for travel managers to do between budget and emissions reduction targets, as both will remain priorities in 2026, but having the data mandated for every programme-approved property and clear to see at the point of search is key in an easier comparison between options.” Amy Pammenter, Senior Client Programme Manager |
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9: A shift away from flexible policy models in favour of more stringent governance and duty of care
Much of 2025 was plagued by natural disasters, conflict and other unforeseen crises that put globally mobile employees at risk. Businesses, travel/relocation managers and agents were forced to be agile, pivot quickly and evaluate how robust their crisis management protocols really are.
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“Tightened scrutiny on risk, safety and cost control could well be accompanied by a shift in preference away from flexibility towards compliance. I suspect that we may see a tightening oversight of duty of care, governance, and consistency in travel programmes in 2026. Balancing the trade-offs between flexibility, employee expectations, cost control and governance is likely to be a key challenge for travel and mobility teams in 2026. We may also see increased investment and expectations from vendors for analytics and visibility into spend, behaviour, risk, and policy compliance.” Victoria Jackson, Head of Communications |
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10: More regulatory changes for operators to adhere to
With an expanding and maturing market comes more standardisation, regulation and ultimately more legislation for property operators to adhere to. There are many regulatory changes for serviced apartment operators to prepare for and factor into their 2026 strategy, many of which are likely to have a bearing on accommodation rates, standards and terms for the consumer to consider.
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“Stricter regulation can certainly be positive for the consumer in terms of higher, more consistent service, safety and quality standards and a reduced risk of non-compliant operators, but it does mean smaller, boutique operators might need to update some of their processes. There are also tax changes to contend with, particularly in the UK where consultations with local authorities are ongoing about introducing tourist taxes/visitor levies on overnight stays. Cities like Manchester and Liverpool already charge a nightly tourist tax, but cities across England, Wales and Scotland are all looking to introduce them as early as July 2026. Again, not a bad thing if this means more funding to improve cities and services, but certainly a further cost burden for corporates to factor into 2026 budgets.” Chris Beales, Senior Partner Account Manager |
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11: Using AI-enhanced technology for greater operational efficiency and policy compliance
Technology will never not be the talk of the town. What’s important now is not sharing how you plan to use AI but rather proving the real results you’ve delivered after implementing AI effectively in your operations. In policy-driven environments like corporate accommodation and travel management, how might AI-enhanced technology be used to enhance efficiency and support duty of care?
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“AI continues to be a key discussion topic as we head into 2026. We should certainly expect to see this sort of technology shift away from simply systems and tools, towards becoming a teammate in the day-to-day workflow. What this looks like in practice is the automation of more daily tasks to enhance operational efficiency and speed, leaving service providers better positioned to excel in the value-adding elements of their offering and still remain agile enough to compete in the modern market. The need to drive policy compliance across fragmented travel functions has also become increasingly important to support duty of care obligations. The key here is to develop technology platforms with built-in compliance controls, such as mandated/prohibited locations and properties or bespoke approval workflows, for greater transparency and governance.” Cara Lingle, Senior Vice President, Projects |
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As we learned all too well in 2025, even when you think you’re ready for what’s on the horizon, you never quite know what’s around the corner. Informed predictions form a strong foundation on which to map out your year, but resilience will be your best asset and robust crisis management for when the unexpected happens is increasingly the biggest competitive advantage.
What other trends do you see coming into play in 2026? Connect with us on Linkedin to join the conversation.
