SAP Concur and Amex GBT Strengthen Their Unified Travel and Expense Platform


SAP Concur et Amex GBT renforcent leur plateforme unifiée voyage et dépenses - Depositphotos.com Auteur AllaSerebrina

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On the occasion of the SAP Concur Fusion 2026 event, SAP Concur and American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) announced new advances around Complete, their joint travel and expense management solution.

Objective: accelerate the integration of traveler and financial journeys through artificial intelligence and an enriched content offering.

Launched in October 2025 within a strategic alliance between the two groups, Complete aims to combine booking, services, payments and expense management within a single experience.


An AI connected to travel advisors

Since then, its adoption has accelerated, driven by enterprises’ demand for a smoother and smarter travel experience, according to the release.

Among the main evolutions announced, the solution now integrates a conversational platform connected to Joule, SAP’s agentic AI.

This platform is able to accompany the traveler throughout their trip, with a particular feature: an automatic transfer to an Amex GBT human travel advisor when the situation warrants, without the traveler having to switch interfaces.

The full integration of Joule is expected in the second quarter of 2026.


Expanded access to transport contents

Complete also gains a new interface dedicated to travel managers. This homepage centralizes data, management tools, approvals and duty-of-care information.

Presented as a single entry point, it should enable monitoring programs, accessing reports and anticipating budget overruns, with analytical capabilities set to be strengthened in future versions.

Another major evolution: the complete integration of the Amex GBT marketplace, giving access to more than 600 airlines and 2 million properties, as well as content from Booking.com, Expedia, NDC and GDS.

The platform also opens to more than 80 rail operators.

The two partners also announce working on a unified NDC implementation to ensure consistent and predictable access to direct airfares.


Towards full automation of expense reports

Building on the 2025 announcements, the integration between Concur Expense and Amex GBT Egencia is being realized. Reservations made via Egencia now automatically feed expense reports with prefilled data.

« Employees no longer have to re-enter their travel details, and finance teams benefit from more reliable data », states the release. This feature is slated for rollout in April 2026 after a pilot phase.

Finally, SAP Concur and Amex GBT are launching a program dedicated to business travel management (TMCs), with two levels of certification: Gold and Silver.

Business Travel: Long Lake Acquires Amex GBT


Amex GBT va passer sous pavillon privé après son rachat par Long Lake - DepositPhotos.com, Rawpixel

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American Express Global Business Travel a annoncé, le 4 mai 2026, avoir conclu un accord définitif en vue de son acquisition par Long Lake Management, dans le cadre d’une transaction d’une valeur d’environ 6,3 milliards de dollars.

Aux termes de l’accord, les actionnaires d’Amex GBT recevront 9,50 $ par action en espèces, ce qui représente une prime de 60,2% par rapport au cours de clôture de l’action Amex GBT le 1er mai 2026, le dernier jour de bourse complet avant l’annonce de la transaction, et une prime d’environ 65,1% par rapport au prix moyen pondéré par les volumes de l’action Amex GBT pour les 30 jours se terminant le 1er mai 2026“, selon le communiqué officiel.

La transaction devrait être finalisée au cours du second semestre 2026, sous réserve notamment de l’approbation des actionnaires d’Amex GBT et l’obtention des autorisations réglementaires requises.

Une fois la transaction finalisée, les actions ordinaires d’Amex GBT ne seront plus cotées en bourse et Amex GBT deviendra une société privée.

A noter qu’American Express, Expedia, Qatar Investment Authority et BlackRock, représentant collectivement 69% des actions de GBT, ont conclu des accords de vote en faveur de la transaction.

Lire aussi : Read also: What challenges for business travel in 2026?


Behind this acquisition, an acceleration of the transformation of business travel

The deal is financed by a combination of equity contributed by Long Lake’s existing investors and Koch Equity Development LLC (“Koch”), Koch, Inc.’s main investment and acquisition arm, and by a debt financing guaranteed by JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citi and MUFG.

It marks the shift of a key publicly traded player to a private model, potentially more agile in its technology investments.

Thanks to Long Lake’s applied artificial intelligence capabilities, our travel expertise, our global reach and decades of trusted relationships with clients and suppliers, Amex GBT is a driver of transformation for business travel“, stated Paul Abbott, Chief Executive Officer of Amex GBT.

The future of business travel will rest on seamless collaboration between AI and human agents, serving every traveler: shorter booking lead times, proactive handling of contingencies and simplified travel administration. In partnership with Long Lake, Amex GBT will continue to invest heavily in these technologies and maintain its status for excellent customer service” added, for his part, Alex Taubman, co-founder and CEO of Long Lake.

For reference, American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) is a leader in software and services for travel, expense management and the organization of meetings and events, operating in more than 140 countries.

Read also: Amex GBT, Marietton, ATPI: the behind-the-scenes of consolidation in business travel

FCM Travel to Deploy Sam in 90+ Countries Starting June 2026


Sam, le nouvel agent IA de FCM Travel.   DepositPhotos.com/sdecoret

IFTM TourMaG Party


FCM Travel annonce le déploiement mondial de Sam, son assistant alimenté par l’intelligence artificielle à partir de juin 2026.

FCM Travel précise que Sam a été développé en interne et intégré directement à l’infrastructure technologique du groupe, plutôt que comme une couche ajoutée à des systèmes existants.

La solution est destinée aux voyageurs d’affaires, aux réservataires et aux travel managers. Elle doit permettre d’accompagner l’ensemble du parcours voyageur, depuis la réservation jusqu’au suivi du programme voyages.


Un assistant connecté aux politiques voyages des entreprises

Selon John Morhous,directeur de l’expérience client mondiale, Sam a été conçu pour garantir un haut niveau de précision et de conformité aux politiques internes des entreprises.

L’assistant applique automatiquement les règles liées aux plafonds de dépenses, aux validations internes ou aux fournisseurs référencés. Un voyageur ne pourra par exemple pas recevoir de proposition de billet en classe affaires si cette option n’est pas autorisée dans la politique voyages de son entreprise.

FCM Travel précise également que les données des clients restent stockées dans son environnement privé et ne sont pas utilisées pour entraîner des modèles publics d’intelligence artificielle.

Au lancement, Sam permettra notamment aux travel managers d’accéder aux données de leurs programmes via des échanges en langage naturel et de basculer vers les outils de réservation déjà utilisés par les entreprises.



A lire aussi :
FCM Travel France nomme Jean-Baptiste Sirabella à la tête de l’activité Meetings & Events

Medieval Travel: Three Pilgrimage Routes Across France

1/ The Ancient Route to the Holy Land

Connecting Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint-Gilles-du-Gard, once a major gateway for boarding pilgrims destined for Rome and the Holy Land, the Régordane Way still allows travelers today to move from the volcanic foothills of the Massif Central to the Provençal garrigue. Along the way, villages with rich Roman architectural heritage, such as Pradelles, La Garde-Guérin, or Génolhac.

Irish Tourism Webinar: Responsible Travel in Ireland – April 5, 2022





Thématique : Voyages responsables en Irlande

Date : 05 avril 2022

Heure : 11h00


Descriptif du webinaire

Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle because green is the dominant color of its landscapes.

Beyond exploring the vast natural spaces — rugged coasts and beaches, mountains and valleys — the curious traveler can also visit farms, artisanal workshops, sample local cuisine, or take a music lesson to fully immerse themselves in Irish culture and the art of living.

A hotel and a receptive tour operator will share their best tips for a rewarding and responsible exploration of Ireland.

The speakers will also be happy to answer your questions in a Q&A session at the end of the session.


Les prochaines sessions

Outdoor activities on the island of Ireland

Date: May 12, 2022 | Time: 11:00 | Registration to come

The luxury offering on the island of Ireland

Date: May 19, 2022 | Time: 11:00 | Registration to come


Les sessions précédentes

Le tour d’Irlande en famille

Voir le replay


Nos autres outils pour les professionnels du tourisme

Nous mettons à la disposition des agences de voyages tous les outils nécessaires à l’animation des ventes en agences tels que des brochures, totems et posters, mais aussi l’animation de site internet avec des bannières, vidéos et photos.

✔ Formations

✔ Brochures en ligne

✔ Boîte à outils pour notre campagne actuelle


Nous contacter

Panama Travel: What You Need to Know


Voyage au Panama, ce qu’il faut savoir - Las Perlass Gastronomia © Branly

IFTM TourMaG Party



Table of contents:

General information

The webinar “A Land Beyond Expectations”

Where is Panama located?

When to go to Panama?

The city of Panama

What to do in Panama?

The islands to visit

7 days in Panama

Contact Air Europa

Contact PROMTUR Panama


General Information

The Republic of Panama is a presidential democracy. It comprises 10 provinces and 5 indigenous regions. Panama covers a total area of 75,517 square kilometers and has a population of about 4.17 million people. The official language is Spanish.

However, you’ll have no trouble communicating in English, which is widely spoken. In Panama, purchases can be paid for with the United States dollar, locally referred to as the Balboa.


The webinar “A Land Beyond Expectations”



Where is Panama located?

The Republic of Panama is situated to the southeast of the isthmus linking Central America to South America.

To the north lies the Atlantic Ocean and to the south the Pacific Ocean. To the east and west lie Colombia and Costa Rica.


The city of Panama


What to do in Panama?


Bocas del Toro © Ana Diaz

During your trip to Panama, you will have the opportunity to discover several points of interest and to experience unusual experiences.

Discover the Panama Canal and its basin: where the Pacific meets the Caribbean

The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea. It is 79.6 km long. Its depth is 13 meters with an average width of 152 meters. Each year, about 14,000 ships pass through it.

The original idea for the canal dates back to the 16th century, in the era of Charles V. Nearly 300 years later, a private international company took charge of the project. Within this organization, Ferdinand de Lesseps—the entrepreneur who led the Suez Canal project—was involved. He sought to replicate the same achievement. However, his trip to New York revealed the American political opposition to foreign intervention in the Americas. Consequently, in 1880, the Universal Inter-Oceanic Canal Company was founded.

The illustrious Gustave Eiffel contributed to the project after some technical difficulties. Yet Lesseps’ troubles did not end, as he faced fraud charges and was convicted, bringing an end to the French attempt, which was taken up, with Eiffel’s plans for the lock systems, by the United States. Ultimately, the canal project was completed in 1914. Over the years, the canal zone has become very lively due to the numerous cruise ships.

Savor the luxurious Geisha coffee

Traveling in Panama also means having the chance to taste an extraordinary delicacy: Geisha coffee. Coffee Review has given it a score of 98/100. Although Geisha is grown in nearby countries such as Brazil and Colombia, Panama’s Geisha remains unmatched due to the exceptional climate of its natural production site (at the foot of Volcán Barú, in the Chiriquí province). This coveted beverage is the most expensive coffee in the world. You may pay up to $2.25 per gram. Are you tempted to invest in this taste?


The heritage riches

A trip to Panama would be incomplete without exploring the country’s numerous treasures! A visit to Panama Viejo is a must during your stay. Founded by Pedro Arias Dávila in the early 16th century, the old town where the railway was built at the end of the 19th century is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The ruins of several religious buildings remain to testify to its former glory.

The country’s history can also be seen in Portobelo, which is part of the World Heritage. Revealed during Christopher Columbus’s explorations, it houses remarkable buildings, such as the San Juan de Dios church and the Convent of the Mercedarian Fathers. We should also mention the ruins of Fort San Lorenzo, dating back to the 17th century.

The Chiriquí Province

In the Gulf of Chiriquí, you can visit numerous islands. This will be a wonderful opportunity to explore marine life and to enjoy a day of relaxation on a paradisiacal beach. The more active travelers can go trekking and hiking.

Hiking at Volcán Barú

Do not miss one of Panama’s greatest wonders: Volcán Barú in the Chiriquí province. Barú is part of the Talamanca mountain range and represents the highest point in Panama, standing at 3,474 meters above sea level. It last erupted in 1,550. If you’re an adventurous spirit, I recommend joining a guided trek that typically starts in the village of Volcán. This experience will stay etched in your memory forever!


The islands to visit: An extraordinary biodiversity


© Ethan

The island beauty of this small country is most visible through its numerous islands. They offer spectacular natural scenery and luxurious beaches to relax all day long.

The San Blas Archipelago

This archipelago comprises 365 islands and is best known as the territory of the Gunas. It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn about their way of life and habitats. Access is possible by plane or by road from Panama City. Treat yourself to a beach day with your snorkeling gear to admire the richness of underwater life.

The Pearl Archipelago

Las Perlas is a jewel off the Pacific coast, consisting of 200 islets and islands. The largest island is Isla del Rey, ideal for hiking. Your route will reveal splendid waterfalls and hidden caves. We should also mention San José Island and Contadora Island, both well worth a visit. In this archipelago, from July to September you may witness an astonishing spectacle animated by whales. These majestic creatures populate the area for the birth of their young.

The Bocas del Toro Archipelago

In the Caribbean Sea, this archipelago stands out for its joyful and euphoric atmosphere. Water taxis are your best option for getting around the Bocas del Toro islands. The landscape is a sublime fresco combining white-sand beaches, tropical jungle, and stilt houses. Do not miss the Bastimentos National Marine Park, covering an area of 13,000 hectares.


7 days in Panama, here is the itinerary I recommend:

Day 1 : Arrival in Panama

• Overnight at a hotel in Panama City, in the modern city center or in a hotel in the historic Casco Antiguo district.

Day 2 : Tour of Panama City and the Miraflores Locks

• Visit of Panama Viejo (optional depending on your fatigue; still feasible as driving distances in Panama City are short)

• Visit of Casco Antiguo, the colonial district

• Visit of the Miraflores Locks

From the Miraflores Locks, continue your canal-zone tour by heading to the Gamboa Resort: on arrival, take the “night boat safari tour” excursion in the Panama Canal basin (a must-see)

Day 3 : Gamboa Resort

• Excursion 1: cable car ride

• Excursion 2: sloth sanctuary visit

NB: remember to book your excursions in advance

Departure to Albrook-Gelabert Airport: Panama-Bocas del Toro flight

Arrival in Bocas del Toro and overnight on Isla Colón (many hotels to choose from) – Do not miss listening to calypso music in a restaurant-bar on the island.

Days 4 to 6 : Depart by boat for Bastimentos National Park nature reserve

Stay in an eco-lodge, options: Al Natural or Eclypse del Mar

Day 7 : Flight Bocas del Toro – Panama – France (D+1)

All flights to France with European carriers depart at night.


About Air Europa

Air Europa serves Panama (PTY) four times a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday)

Air Europa is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, made up of 19 airlines that have worked together for 19 years as a vast global network serving more than 630 million passengers annually.

The Air Europa fleet is one of the most modern on the continent. It comprises 47 aircraft with an average age of less than 4 years. The company is a leader in environmental conservation processes. In 2018, the German environmental organization Atmosfair named Air Europa the most efficient European airline in its network.


Contact Air Europa


Voyage au Panama, ce qu’il faut savoir
Helpdesk :

+33 (0) 142650800

Reservations Email :

Email: [email protected]

Commercial Department :

Email : [email protected]

Group Service :

Email : [email protected]

Reservations :

58-A Rue du Dessous des Berges

Opening hours for reservations

9h00/17h00

Website :

www.aireuropa.com


Contact PROMTUR Panama


Voyage au Panama, ce qu’il faut savoir
PROMTUR Panama is the destination marketing organization (DMO) whose primary function is the international promotion and marketing of Panama. PROMTUR has the legal status of a non-governmental organization and includes among its members, in addition to the Minister of Tourism, professionals from the tourism sector such as hoteliers and travel agencies.

Luciana Kramer

Leisure Sales Manager

Office: (507) 6780-6439

[email protected]

Iceland Travel Webinar: Discover Unique Experiences for Your Clients in Iceland




In this webinar, Iceland Travel provides an overview of its brand and of the different tours it offers in French. As a leading DMC in Iceland, Iceland Travel offers a wide range of escorted tours, self-drive adventures, and short stays, allowing every traveler to discover, in their own way, the magic of the Land of Fire and Ice.

Winter is an ideal season to visit Iceland and witness the unique spectacle of the Northern Lights. In summer, Iceland becomes the land of the Midnight Sun, offering up to 24 hours of daylight per day to explore its wonders. Travelers can fully experience the beauty of these two seasons by joining itineraries that promise unforgettable memories of Iceland’s grand landscapes and fascinating nature.

The Iceland Travel team also shares valuable information about its wide range of French-language experiences, including the Hidden Energies and Northern Lights itineraries as well as Classic Iceland. Iceland Travel offers exceptional opportunities to fully discover the destination and immerse in all the magic of Iceland.


Nos autres outils pour les professionnels du tourisme


© Iceland Travel

Please find below some tools and resources about the Iceland Travel brand :
✔ Iceland Travel Hub
✔ Online brochures
✔ FAQs


Qui sommes-nous ?

Iceland Travel is a DMC offering a range of premium experiences carefully crafted for its visitors. Whether you come to witness the incredible Northern Lights or to marvel at otherworldly landscapes, Iceland Travel is the most experienced company for unforgettable bespoke experiences and self-drive itineraries in Iceland.

► Learn more about Iceland Travel


Contactez Iceland Travel


Webinar Iceland Travel: discover unique experiences for your clients in Iceland
Ragnheiður Sylvía Kjartansdóttir

Ragnheiður Sylvía Kjartansdóttir
Marketing
+354 585 4583 / 8625314
[email protected]

 
Léa Bodin

Léa Bodin
Travel Expert
[email protected]

 
Maud Gameiro

Maud Gameiro
Travel Expert
[email protected]

 

Site web : www.icelandtravel.is

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Travelife

Travel Explorer Challenge: Win a Round-the-World Trip for Two


Travel Explorer lance un challenge de ventes pour les agences de voyages - Capture écran

IFTM


Travel Explorer, the new tool rolled out by Voyamar and Héliades for agencies, launches a sales challenge.

All partner agencies using Travel Explorer by Héliades and/or Travel Explorer by Voyamar are eligible to participate and all have a chance to win.

The one who achieves between May 2 and December 15, 2024 the highest cumulative business volume across both platforms, will have the opportunity to win a round-the-world trip for two*.

The journey will include six stops over three weeks. The announcement of the Travel Explorer sales challenge winner is scheduled for December 24, a moment to celebrate a wonderful Christmas!


Travel Explorer Challenge: a leg of the world tour unveiled each month

To motivate participants, one leg of the world journey will be revealed every month.

Aurélien Aufort, CEO of Marietton Développement, stated: “thanks to this entirely unprecedented sales challenge, we want to involve all of our partner agencies in taking ownership of our Travel Explorer tool and reward the best among them by giving one or two of its employees the opportunity to fulfill one of the wildest dreams of a travel agent: to embark on a world tour!

This initiative also allows us to demonstrate how Travel Explorer makes it easy to craft a perfect itinerary for their client and to close their sale quickly thanks to our dynamic availability and pricing.”


*Trip offered for two people including flights (economy class) and accommodations (standard category).

Dua Lipa, Katy Perry… Travel Explorer Gives Away VIP Box Seats


Travel Explorer lance un challenge de ventes - Photo Travel Explorer Marietton

IFTM


Travel Explorer launches an unprecedented challenge for travel agents through a sales contest that will run until April 19, 2025.

On the line: to become one of the Travel Explorer ambassadors and win privileged access to VIP lounges for two at the LDLC Arena in Lyon.

On the agenda: Dua Lipa, Gad Elmaleh, Kylie Minogue, Katy Perry or Jamiroquai… The cherry on top: Travel Explorer covers your travel and your accommodation. Zero stress, just pleasure!

By participating, travel agents will be able to join the future Travel Explorer Ambassador program. They will also have the possibility to become one of the members of the Travel Explorer Galaxy.

This program will reward the most engaged agents. The endorsed members will enjoy particular recognition, even more exclusive benefits and a role as a reference within the galaxy.

Also read : Voyamar, Héliades : Travel Explorer, the “little revolution” for the “à la carte”


All you need to know about the Travel Explorer challenge

Who can participate? All travel agents who complete at least one sale via Travel Explorer from today through April 19, 2025.

How does it work? Each sale counts, and every new file you record gives you another chance to win… and to choose your show! Participating then allows you to join the Travel Explorer Ambassadors program. At the end of the challenge, a draw will determine the winners. Sign up on Challenge Travel Explorer – Travel Explorer to participate in the draw.

Why participate? To join a dynamic community, benefit from a powerful tool and perhaps win a unique experience.

Concert dates :

Dua Lipa – May 16

Gad Elmaleh – May 20

Kylie Minogue – July 10

Katy Perry – November 7

Jamiroquai – November 8

Also read: Travel Explorer: Marietton and Orchestra create a joint venture

Accor Launches the HERA Challenge for Travel Agents


Accor lance le HERA Challenge - Photo : @Accor

IFTM


Accor announces the launch of the HERA Challenge, an international contest aimed at travel agents who are members of its HERA platform. This initiative seeks to highlight the performance and dedication of industry professionals by offering a tangible reward: a stay in Colombia in March 2026.

The 33 top advisors will be selected based on multiple criteria, including sales volumes, destinations booked, or preferred brands.

This initiative continues the HERA platform, launched a year earlier, which aims to assist travel agents with their hotel bookings via dedicated digital tools.


An Accor competition structured around 11 categories

The HERA Challenge is open exclusively to users of the HERA.Accor.com platform. The 33 winners will be distributed across 11 distinct categories. Three of them will reward the “Champions of Performance” based on either the overall sales revenue generated or the largest single sale completed on the platform. Three other categories will recognize the “Regional Stars” according to performance in the following regions: the Americas; Europe, Africa and Turkey; the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific.

In addition, five “Brand Experts” categories will honor sales made for the Orient Express, Fairmont, Raffles, Sofitel/Sofitel Legend/MGallery, and Ennismore’s lifestyle brands.

Finally, the last category, “Champions of Destinations“, will spotlight the three agents who booked trips to the largest number of different countries. The competition covers all bookings made between November 15, 2024, and November 15, 2025. Winners will be announced in December 2025.


A Colombia experience for the winners

The 33 rewarded agents will undertake a four-day experience, from March 9 to March 12, 2026, spread across two Colombian properties within the group. They will spend one night at the Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena, located in a 17th-century convent in the heart of Cartagena, and two nights at the Sofitel Barú Calablanca Beach Resort, LEED-certified and situated about 40 minutes by boat from the city.

The program includes meetings with local communities, in line with the group’s commitment to responsible travel. The Barú complex features 187 rooms and suites, several infinity pools, a spa, a gym, and restaurants, including Bahía by the sea and Humo, which blends Asian and Latin American cuisines. According to Pascal Visintainer, “the HERA Challenge is our way of highlighting and rewarding travel agents who bring our brands to life for customers around the world.”


Manon Morelli Publié par Manon Morelli Rédactrice web – TourMaG.com
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