Direct Travel has been named Global Travel Management Company of the Year – Singapore at the Travel Daily Media Travel Trade Excellence Awards 2026 – Asia. The accolade underscores the company's strategy of pairing modern technology with deep industry knowledge and localized service delivery across the Asia Pacific region.
The award recognizes Direct Travel's efforts to tackle persistent challenges in corporate travel management, such as fragmented booking systems, inconsistent service quality, and limited visibility for multinational clients. By integrating its global platform with regional expertise, the company aims to provide a more cohesive travel management experience.
Post-acquisition expansion strengthens global reach
Following its acquisition of ATPI in September 2025, Direct Travel has merged two established travel management businesses, broadening its global footprint and enhancing its solution portfolio for complex travel programmes. The integration brings together Direct Travel's technology-driven approach with ATPI's specialized sector expertise, particularly in offshore and marine travel.
In Asia, Direct Travel operates 11 wholly owned entities across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China, South Korea, and Japan. This extensive regional network allows multinational customers to benefit from consistent service standards while retaining the local knowledge essential for navigating diverse regulatory and operational environments.
Avenir platform unifies content, data, and service
Central to Direct Travel's strategy is Avenir, its next-generation, cloud-native travel platform. Avenir provides organizations with direct access to travel content, trusted data, and service capabilities within a single connected ecosystem. The platform addresses common pain points such as programme leakage, fragmented content, and traveller satisfaction, giving corporate clients greater control over their travel spend and policies.
“Across Asia, businesses need more than access to travel technology. They need greater visibility, consistency, and confidence in how their programmes operate across markets,” said Ali Hussain, Managing Director – Asia, Direct Travel. “Our focus is on removing the obstacles that make business travel unnecessarily complex, combining the strength of our global platform with the local expertise and personal service our customers depend on.”
Specialist expertise for high-demand sectors
Beyond conventional corporate travel, Direct Travel's expanded portfolio includes purpose-built solutions for industries with highly specialized requirements. Through ATPI, the company brings over 30 years of offshore and marine travel expertise, supported by direct airline agreements and specialist fares. These capabilities serve the marine, energy, offshore, and mining sectors, where crew rotations, complex schedules, and time-sensitive deployments demand dedicated travel support.
This sector focus is complemented by strong service metrics. Across Asia, Direct Travel reports an average call answer time of 14 seconds, a Net Promoter Score of 65.76, and an average consultant tenure of ten years—indicators of both responsiveness and staff stability.
The recognition at the Travel Trade Excellence Awards – Asia, which also honored SympleHost for its PMS and Pan Pacific Singapore as City Centre Hotel, highlights the growing importance of technology-enabled, service-oriented travel management in the region. As corporate travel continues to evolve, Direct Travel's integrated approach positions it well to meet the demands of multinational clients seeking both global consistency and local agility.
The award reinforces Direct Travel's commitment to modernizing corporate travel management, delivering on its promise of direct access to better business travel by combining technology, global scale, and human expertise.
