Travel expenses: What business travelers spend the most on
Photo: iStock/Chainarong Prasertthai
An analysis of German SAP Concur data shows what employees spend the most money on and what cost increases this results in for companies.
Rising travel costs and tight budgets are the current challenge for many travel managers. On average, companies paid around 4 percent more per invoice in 2024 than in 2023. Total costs increased by 15 percent.
Flight tickets and rental cars cost companies the most. In 2024, the average price for flight tickets was €497 per expense report . This is up to seven times higher than the average amount submitted. The average cost for a rental car was €207. In contrast, entertainment expenses are relatively inexpensive at around €24. They also recorded only a moderate price increase of around 6 percent compared to 2023.
Spending on events increased significantly, with companies spending an average of €120 per invoice, an increase of around 26 percent. This reflects the trend toward more presence in the workplace. The last pandemic-related restrictions expired at the beginning of 2023, and many activities continued to take place digitally.
Essentially, there was no spending category that didn't increase in price last year. This is due both to the stabilized volume of business travel and increased costs due to inflation and the economic situation. Fuels recorded the smallest increase (plus 5 percent), while the miscellaneous category saw the largest increase, at around 21 percent. These are costs that don't fit into existing categories or relate to spending categories outside the norm. Examples include fees for luggage lockers, internet costs in hotels or trains, and toll fees.
Looking at the cost distribution throughout the year, overnight stays account for the largest share of total costs at 28 percent. According to Concur data, despite their high prices, airline tickets account for a smaller share of expenses at around 21 percent, because many destinations use other modes of transport such as trains, public transport, or cars. Entertainment expenses also account for a relatively large share of costs at around 14 percent, although the amounts submitted for these are comparatively low.
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