Talk to an Inntel expert
There’s been a lot of conversation recently about consolidation in the corporate travel management sector. Mergers, acquisitions and global expansion continue to dominate headlines – often reinforcing the idea that bigger automatically means better.
However, it’s worth pausing to ask a more important question: Is size really important to buyers – or is effectiveness?
After years of working with organisations of all shapes and scales, I’m seeing a clear shift in how travel management companies (TMCs) are evaluated. The conversation is no longer just about footprint and buying power. It’s about agility, alignment and accountability.
Large, global TMCs undoubtedly bring scale. But scale can also introduce challenges that buyers don’t always see upfront:
For organisations with complex travel, meetings and events requirements, size alone doesn’t guarantee value. In fact, it can sometimes dilute it.
What I’m seeing more of, particularly among sophisticated, high-growth and enterprise organisations, is a move away from the assumption that big company = big TMC.
Instead, buyers are asking:
This is where independent, agile travel management companies are increasingly standing out.
One of the most significant shifts in procurement conversations is the emphasis on cultural alignment.
Values, ethics and people practices matter more than ever, not just internally, but across supply chains. Buyers want partners who reflect their own commitments around sustainability, wellbeing and responsible business.
Accreditations such as B Corp and Investors in People aren’t badges for marketing decks, they’re signals of how an organisation treats its people, its clients and its wider community. And in long-term partnerships, that matters.
Travel is becoming more unpredictable. Disruption, geopolitical events, industrial action and the increasing frequency of climate driven weather disruption are all part of the landscape.
In these moments, what clients value most isn’t the size of a call centre, it’s:
Agility, ownership and accountability consistently outperform scale when it counts.
Independence doesn’t mean limited capability. When done well, it means:
For many buyers, this combination offers a stronger return on investment than sheer size alone.
Size can matter, however, only when it’s matched with relevance, responsiveness and real partnership.
What matters more is:
As the travel management landscape continues to evolve, I believe the most successful partnerships will be built not on who is the biggest, but on who is the most aligned, adaptable and invested. And that’s a conversation worth having.
If you’re currently reviewing your travel management strategy, or questioning whether scale alone is really delivering value, I’d welcome a conversation.
Kilianne is an award-winning corporate travel professional who has worked in the sector since 2009. She joined Inntel in 2017 and is a member of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Ladders mentoring and professional development programme.