There is a striking contradiction in China's corporate travel market. On one hand, 91% of enterprises already use TMC services. On the other hand, as much as 48% of travel demand is still booked outside TMC Channels because “other platforms are cheaper.”
This is one of the key findings from the report “Tides Rising in the East — The Expanding Reach of China’s Business Travel,” a report jointly published by TravelDaily Research Institute and Trip.Biz.
The survey shows that 75% of Chinese enterprises are broadly satisfied with their current TMC services. Yet for most of them, that satisfaction means “acceptable, but far from excellent.” Only 12% say they are very satisfied.
When asked where TMCs most need to improve, 41.9% of respondents chose price competitiveness, well ahead of any other option. At the same time, the biggest strength of TMCs today is seen as booking speed and efficiency (56.5%).
In other words, TMCs in China are winning on efficiency, but losing ground on price.
Once travelers find that airfares or hotel rates on TMC Channels are higher than those available through public channels, travel policy compliance starts to break down. A 48% bypass rate is not a marginal issue. It means TMCs are losing a significant share of bookings, while enterprises are compensating for weak pricing by comparing options across multiple platforms.
This is not only a challenge for TMCs. It also weakens the overall control of corporate travel programs. Fragmented bookings increase compliance risk, create data silos, and dilute purchasing power.
The report argues that TMCs need to rebuild trust in three areas: price competitiveness, fee transparency, and value-added services. When 48% of demand is effectively voting with its feet, transformation is no longer optional. It becomes a matter of survival.
This article is part of a broader insight series based on the report “Tides Rising in the East — The Expanding Reach of China’s Business Travel.” For more findings, get the free executive summary below.
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