Seamless Journeys |📲 How Millennial Payment Preferences Are Reshaping Travel Finance

A NEWSLETTER AFFILIATED TO

📣 Editor’s Pick

Last-minute holiday cancellations trigger a ripple effect of financial, operational, and supplier relationship headaches for travel businesses. Payment reversals disrupt entire supplier networks, with lost revenue leading to delayed settlements, manual reversals, and missed reconciliation windows.

But there is a way to recover costs, reduce friction, and maintain supplier trust—if you know where to look.

Press here to read more

🌟Sector Spotlight

PAYMENT INNOVATION

Visa Advances Seamless B2B Travel Payments with AI and Consumer-Driven Models

Tania Platt offers sharp insight into how B2B travel payments are starting to match the seamless, frictionless experiences consumer platforms like Uber have achieved. The travel industry’s shift towards eCommerce-style merchant models—now fuelled by OTAs such as Booking.com and advances in digital wallets—brings benefits like fraud reduction, tighter control, and value-added services. Yet, traditional pain points such as showing a physical card at check-in linger, highlighting a gap in the digital journey.

What’s particularly fascinating is the convergence of the creator economy and AI with travel. Influencers spark wanderlust, but conversion tools lag, resulting in lost opportunities. AI promises not just security but the curation of fully personalised experiences, bridging inspiration, booking, and payment. As cultural travel surges, especially around peak events, suppliers willing to embrace new models and technologies will lead in capturing demand.

TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY MARKETS

Global B2B Travel Platform Market Set To Double By 2034

Global B2B travel platforms are charting impressive growth, expected to more than double from $2.17 billion in 2024 to about $4.8 billion by 2034—with Asia-Pacific, especially China, setting the pace due to rapid digitalisation and a mobile-first mindset. Cloud-based solutions and large enterprises are taking the lion’s share, driven by the demand for scalable, accessible tools that streamline booking and compliance for businesses of every size.

PAYMENT TECHNOLOGY TRENDS

Millennials and Gen Z Demand Seamless Digital Payment Solutions Across Travel and B2B

Millennial and Gen Z professionals are driving a wave of change in both travel and B2B payments, placing a premium on intuitive, tech-driven experiences. With millennials set to allocate $1.4 trillion annually to travel—often through their preferred digital and debit payment methods—outdated booking and payment options risk alienating a critical customer base. In B2B payments, there’s a striking generational divide: nearly half of Gen Zers don’t know how to write a cheque, yet many firms are still tethered to legacy payment processes.

The big picture? Modernisation is non-negotiable. Companies must focus on scalable, automated solutions—think straight-through processing and embedded accounts payable/receivable automation—to streamline operations and enhance satisfaction on both sides of the transaction. Technology isn’t about replacing human touch but elevating value-added tasks, ensuring organisations stay relevant and competitive as younger generations reshape expectations at every turn.

STRATEGIC RECRUITMENT

Inspire Europe Appoints Freya Sutcliffe to Lead Gift Card Sales Expansion

Freya Sutcliffe’s move from Newmarket Holidays to Inspire Europe signals a strategic push to capitalise on the thriving gift card market. With gift cards already making up 20% of Inspire’s business, Sutcliffe will focus on boosting both client growth and market reach as the new UK & Europe head of sales and business development. Her 24 years of industry experience, spanning tour operations and travel agency roles, is expected to give Inspire a sharp competitive edge.

It’s no wonder Inspire has chosen this moment to sharpen its focus—gift cards represent a multi-billion-pound industry in the UK and Europe, with the UK market alone valued at £6 billion. Impressive 20% year-on-year growth suggests there is plenty of room for further expansion, especially as demand for reward and recognition incentive schemes increases. Sutcliffe’s expertise should help Inspire stake an even greater claim in this fast-evolving eCommerce sector.

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

Audley Travel Profits Surge Over 135 Percent Amid Strong Bookings Growth

Audley Travel’s latest financial results point to a travel market that’s clearly buzzing with demand. Doubling its annual profit in 2024, the tour operator posted £19.5 million, marking a striking surge of more than 135% over last year’s £8.2 million. That’s not just a simple leap; it’s the kind of result that turns industry heads. Revenue didn’t lag behind either, climbing from £220.9 million in 2023 to £277.8 million, helped by savvy investments in staff and product offerings.