ESG newsletter from Inntel: Q1 2026

A short note on where travel is heading from our ESG Executive, Ellen Murtimer

Demand across business travel remains strong, but how organisations are approaching it is starting to shift. One of the most noticeable changes this quarter has been pricing. Flight fares have increased significantly year on year, largely driven by fuel costs and broader geopolitical pressures.

What this highlights is how closely cost, carbon and operational resilience are now linked. In the current climate, many organisations are placing greater emphasis on cost control and operational stability, with ESG considerations becoming more closely integrated into those decisions rather than treated separately.

Rather than ESG being deprioritised entirely, we’re seeing a more balanced approach, with a focus on practical, value led decisions that support both cost and sustainability outcomes.

In practice, this is leading to changes such as:

• Introducing travel purpose checks before booking (for example, confirming whether a trip genuinely requires in-person attendance, or if meetings could be combined into a single visit)
• Prioritising direct routes to reduce cost, time and emissions
• Combining multiple meetings into a single trip where possible

How travel behaviours are evolving

The shift in travel isn’t dramatic, it’s happening through small, consistent changes in behaviour. At Inntel, we’ve noticed the following trends.

Business travel:

• A stronger preference for direct routes where possible
• Short-haul rail becoming more part of the mix, particularly within Europe
• More flexibility around when people travel (avoiding peak periods where possible)
• Combining multiple short trips into fewer longer trips
• More attention being paid to supplier sustainability credentials

Meetings and events:

• More deliberate planning of in person meetings to ensure purpose, impact and reduced environmental footprint
• Venue choice increasingly influenced by location, accessibility, proximity to key transport hubs (particularly rail) and sustainability standards
• Balancing the need for human connection with virtual meeting opportunities

These changes are relatively simple but are starting to have a noticeable impact on both cost and carbon outcomes.

SAF: where things stand

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) continues to be one of the most important near-term options for reducing aviation emissions within business travel. At present:

• SAF still represents well under 1% of global aviation fuel supply (source: International Air Transport Association – IATA)
• Production is expanding but remains constrained by feedstock availability and scaling capacity
• Airlines are increasingly securing long-term supply agreements, signalling confidence in future demand

In practice, availability remains limited and varies significantly by route and carrier, meaning SAF is not yet something organisations can rely on consistently within travel programmes. Momentum is building, however, supported by continued government and airline investment expected to accelerate production over the coming years.

Carbon reporting dashboard

We’re introducing a new Power BI Carbon Dashboard, designed to give clients a clearer view of travel emissions across their programme. This will support:

• Better visibility of carbon data
• Stronger support for ESG and Scope 3 reporting
• More informed decisions around travel activity

Sustainability in practice

While moments like Earth Day help bring focus to sustainability, progress in travel tends to come from small, consistent decisions rather than single large actions. This year’s theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” is a valuable reminder that there isn’t one perfect way to approach sustainability. It will look different across organisations, but the collective impact of everyday choices can be significant.

In a business travel context, this can be as simple as:

• Choosing rail over car travel where possible
• Bringing a reusable water bottle rather than relying on single use plastics
• Making more conscious choices around catering and food options at meetings and events to reduce waste and exclude high carbon food.

For practical guidance, you can refer to our sustainability checklist , which highlights simple ways to embed more responsible choices into travel and event planning.

ED&I and wellbeing in travel

A consistent theme in conversations is how travel decisions are increasingly being viewed through a people lens, alongside practical and sustainability considerations. When designed thoughtfully, business travel plays a key role in strengthening connection across organisations, particularly in hybrid and multi-site environments, while also supporting more considered and purposeful travel patterns.

We’re starting to see a shift away from a one size fits all approach. Instead, organisations are recognising that wellbeing and inclusion can look different depending on the context of the event, the team and the individuals involved.

This is coming through in more practical ways, for example, the introduction of quiet spaces at larger events and our work with partners like Eventwell, who are helping organisations think more intentionally about accessibility and wellbeing at events. Rather than sitting separately, this is increasingly being embedded into how travel and events are designed from the outset.

Ellen’s closing thoughts

Organisations are not moving away from travel, but they are becoming more deliberate about when and how it is used. In practice, this is less about reducing travel overall and more about improving the purpose, design and impact of each journey. That is where we are seeing the most tangible shift, in everyday decision making rather than large scale change.