LCC network targets business travel expansion in 2026

The Lufthansa City Center (LCC) network is aiming to grow its portfolio of international business travel members in 2026 and has identified a number of markets in which it wishes to establish – or strengthen – its presence.

Business travel expansion is one of several strategic pillars for the organisation in the year ahead as outlined by Lufthansa City Center International’s managing director Heiko Brix – who joined the organisation last year – at the network’s 21^st general assembly taking place in Malta this weekend.

Following a “targeted expansion” of its global supplier portfolio and DMC membership in recent years, its next steps include “controlled growth in core markets,” expanding its global partner network and fostering a new generation of entrepreneurial businesses.

“Lufthansa City Center is more than just a travel agency chain – it is a vibrant, entrepreneurial network with a global spirit and local backbone,” said Brix.

In Europe, it is pursuing new travel management company members in Spain, Portugal and Poland, while in Asia-Pacific the organisation is targeting growth in India, South Korea, China, Indonesia and Australia.

LCC is looking to add mid-sized agencies that are not already aligned to a local network and are “innovative, ambitious and aiming for growth,” explained Brix. “Our corporate travel [membership] is already strong but we need to bring in further competencies for the international network.”

Brix believes India offers a “massive opportunity” for expansion and also views Poland, with one of Europe’s fastest-growing economies, as a market in which LCC International needs to expand, despite already counting eTravel – “the strongest BSP producer in Poland” – among its members.

LCC, which comprises around 600 travel agencies and destination management companies across 110 countries, reported combined turnover of €7.6 billion in 2024, up significantly from €5.98 billion in 2023.

THE GROWTH JOURNEY

Its acceleration has been driven by both organic growth and the addition of several new partners including Gant Travel in the US last year, which alone added around €1 billion in turnover, and this year, the addition of Beyond Business Travel in Northern Ireland and Vermari in Brazil.

In total, it added 35 new agencies last year, five of which were granted LCC’s business travel license, taking its international corporate travel network to 55 members globally, in addition to 60 travel management companies in Germany.

The group has seen only “moderate” growth in 2025, with year-to-date revenue flat and booking volumes down slightly, but Brix believes LCC’s SME customers tend to shake off the impact of geopolitical tensions and economic challenges more easily than their larger counterparts.

“The German SME market in particular… those companies are more resilient than some major corporations. Larger companies are often hit harder and sooner, but it depends on the segment, of course,” said Brix, highlighting the impact of US tariffs on Germany’s automotive sector. 

While Brix and LCC’s managing director in Germany, Markus Orth, view American Express Global Business Travel’s acquisition of CWT as an “advantage” for LCC and its members, the organisation’s tech-first competitors “are getting stronger,” said Orth. Nevertheless, LCC is the third largest travel management organisation in Germany, behind only Amex GBT and BCD Travel, he noted.

But pointing to the likes of Navan, Perk (previously known as TravelPerk) and Lanes & Planes, which is ranked the ninth largest TMC in Germany, Orth said: “They were parked during Covid when you needed [personal] service but now they are strong competition.”

Brix said that although its members had lost some business to such competitors, two-thirds return to LCC because “they miss the service component – that’s where we win; we are so strong on service.”

Orth added: “SMEs need service and the new platforms are now learning that. It’s especially [the case] when you have NDC content [to manage post-booking] and when there’s disruption – that’s the moment of truth.”

ADAPTING TO CHANGE

Brix said that 19.8 per cent of the LCC network's bookings for Lufthansa are now made through NDC channels – some 9 per cent more than the industry average. Among its German members, that figure stands at 30 per cent.

“That is driven by a few very strong partners – some are on 80 or even 90 per cent – but we are currently spreading those best practices into the rest of the international LCC world to show how it can be done and how that share can be increased,” said Brix.

Some agencies remain reluctant to adopt NDC, he added, but “we explain that content is going to be taken away from the GDS [EDIFACT] channels, so they need to move over.”

LCC’s franchise members in Germany can access NDC content via its BridgeIT platform, while international members now have access to a range of aggregators including Travelfusion and TPConnects.

Similarly, while the network’s members in Germany largely use a unified mid-office and tech suite and benefit from centralised purchasing and marketing, LCC International has partnered with a range of tech and service providers in 2025 to offer choice to its members.

These include tech stack provider TripStax, booking platform Thomalex, out-of-hours service provider All7, unused ticket tracker Travel Metrics, and spend management specialist Neylux. “We’re working with known names that create value for our partners,” said Brix.

Around 500 delegates from 78 countries attended LCC’s general assembly in Malta where conference content was delivered across three streams: the geopolitical environment, next generation travellers, and the deployment of artificial intelligence – the latter two subjects also forming part of LCC’s development strategy in 2026.

The organisation has rolled out a number of internal AI initiatives in 2025, said Brix, while its members are sharing their own experiences with peers. “Some of our larger agencies are showing others how to get the best from it,” said Brix, pointing to the automation of simple tasks and the scanning and processing of emails.

“AI is an enormous challenge and an incredible opportunity. Let’s embrace it. The only way forward is to make is to make the most of it and claim a competitive advantage.”