Cost saving is the top priority for UK-based travel managers heading into 2026, according to research by Uber for Business.
In an October survey of more than 250 UK travel executives, 78 per cent of respondents identified cost saving as their main priority for the coming year. Sustainability was the next most important concern, highlighted by 55 per cent of respondents.
This is consistent with similar findings from an April study by the ride-hailing giant, where cost savings outweighed sustainability concerns for the first time since 2020 – reversing earlier trends.
According to Uber for Business, this shift coincides with a decline in travel budgets. In the October survey, 50 per cent of travel managers said their budgets had decreased by at least 10 per cent in 2025, while only 9 per cent reported an increase.
The research also showed that travel managers are seeking greater visibility over travel spend, with 33 per cent of survey respondents highlighting this as an area of concern.
Ground transportation is particularly problematic, as 54 per cent of respondents reported difficulty in tracking spend within this category, and 59 per cent described expense management as “a significant challenge.”
Despite the emphasis on cost efficiency, sustainability efforts continue to receive attention. More than half (54 per cent) of respondents stated they are actively tracking carbon emissions from ground transportation, and an additional 26 per cent expressed interest in monitoring this data.
Commenting on the findings, Uber for Business head of enterprise in the UK, Andrew Laughlan, said: “As budgets have become tighter it’s not surprising that we’re seeing a renewed focus on cost saving and spend visibility.
“At the same time we mustn’t forget that more than half of travel managers still put sustainability down as a top priority. Corporate customers want to report regularly on emissions data and we now provide that as standard via the Uber for Business sustainability dashboard,” he said.