Troop founder discusses travel tech disruption and group travel growth
The outlook for corporate travel in 2025 is looking up, with recent studies by GBTA and earnings reports from major hotel chains all indicating growth on the horizon. In particular, group travel is experiencing a surge in popularity, with more internal meetings being held and projections showing further expansion in 2025. Research released by American Express Global Business Travel in October revealed that 66% of meeting planning professionals anticipate an increase in their budgets.
Dennis Vilovic, the founder and co-CEO of Troop, a PhocusWire Hot 25 Travel Startup for 2021, is optimistic about the potential growth of group travel. He believes that group travel could see a 30% increase next year, despite some pressure from large corporations for employees to return to the office full time. Vilovic discussed various trends in group travel during an interview at The Phocuswright Conference, highlighting longer trips for meetings, more internal meetings, secondary locations, and smaller group sizes of less than 100.
One driving factor behind the rise in group travel is companies’ desire to recreate the informal interactions that remote employees miss out on. Vilovic also mentioned anticipated disruptions in the business travel technology sector in 2025. He is looking forward to advancements in more open platforms and artificial intelligence initiatives, which he believes will ultimately bring more value to travelers.
Overall, the future looks bright for group travel and advancements in travel technology. Stay tuned for more updates on corporate travel trends and developments.
