Global business travel is expected to achieve another milestone in 2026, with worldwide spending forecast to reach a record US$1.71 trillion despite slower growth in the number of business trips. According to the latest GBTA Business Travel Index, rising transport costs, resilient economic activity and continued corporate investment are reshaping the future of travel and tourism, with businesses focusing more on value, productivity and return on investment than ever before.
Global business travel is entering a new phase where spending is increasing much faster than the number of journeys being taken, signalling that companies continue to invest in essential travel while becoming increasingly selective about each trip. The latest Global Business Travel Association forecast estimates worldwide business travel expenditure will climb by 7.2% in 2026 to reach US$1.71 trillion, while total business trips are expected to grow by only 1.3%, reaching 1.84 billion journeys worldwide.
The findings suggest that higher airfares, accommodation rates, transport expenses and operational costs are becoming the main drivers behind industry growth rather than a significant increase in traveller numbers, reinforcing the changing economics of global travel and tourism.
The report highlights that global business travel spending performed better than expected during 2025, rising by 8.4% to US$1.59 trillion, comfortably exceeding earlier projections. Stronger economic performance across several regions, easing trade tensions during the latter half of the year and favourable currency movements all contributed to higher-than-anticipated corporate travel expenditure.
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Although the long-term outlook remains positive, the forecast now expects worldwide business travel spending to exceed US$2 trillion by 2030, one year later than previously anticipated, reflecting a more moderate pace of expansion after 2026 while still benefiting from sustained international business activity and ongoing investment.
One of the report’s most significant conclusions is that businesses have not abandoned corporate travel despite continuing economic uncertainty. Instead, organisations are carefully evaluating which journeys deliver the greatest commercial value, making productivity and strategic objectives central to travel planning.
This shift means travel managers, finance teams and corporate decision-makers are placing greater emphasis on measuring the return on investment from every business trip, while travel suppliers increasingly focus on delivering efficiency, flexibility and cost control across the corporate travel experience.
For the first time, the Business Travel Index also measures global business travel volume alongside spending, providing a clearer understanding of market dynamics. Around 1.82 billion business trips were taken during 2025, rising modestly to an estimated 1.84 billion in 2026, representing approximately 25 million additional journeys worldwide.
The considerable difference between 7.2% spending growth and only 1.3% trip growth clearly demonstrates that inflation across aviation, accommodation and transportation continues to have a much stronger influence on industry revenues than increasing traveller numbers, reshaping travel and tourism economics across every region.
The forecast identifies several external forces expected to influence global business travel throughout 2026. Continued economic resilience and healthy business investment remain supportive factors, but geopolitical uncertainty and elevated transport costs continue to present significant challenges for airlines, corporate travellers and the wider tourism industry.
The report notes that conflict involving Iran and the wider Middle East during early 2026 disrupted aviation routes, energy markets and international trade, forcing airlines to adopt longer flight paths, alternative hub connections and higher operating costs. These developments increased airfare prices and travel times, although the forecast assumes conditions will gradually stabilise during the second half of the year.
Regional performance is expected to vary considerably throughout 2026 as economic conditions and geopolitical developments influence travel demand differently across the world. Business travel volume in the Middle East is forecast to decline by 12.3%, reflecting ongoing regional instability, while Asia and Europe continue facing pressure from aviation disruption and higher energy costs.
Meanwhile, the Americas are forecast to experience comparatively stronger growth, supported by expanding artificial intelligence investment in the United States, higher commodity prices benefiting Brazil and improved economic stability in Argentina. These developments are expected to strengthen both corporate travel demand and wider tourism activity across the region.
Artificial intelligence has emerged as one of the most significant new drivers of international business travel, particularly across North America and Asia Pacific. Major investments in digital infrastructure, enterprise technology, cloud computing and data centres are generating increasing demand for project implementation, customer engagement, technical collaboration and cross-border business meetings.
As companies accelerate digital transformation programmes, business travel continues to play a critical role in supporting international partnerships, technology deployment and commercial expansion, reinforcing its importance despite rising operating costs throughout the global travel and tourism sector.
The world’s two largest business travel markets remain the United States and China, together accounting for almost half of total global expenditure during 2026. The United States is forecast to generate approximately US$423 billion in business travel spending, while China follows closely with around US$403.7 billion.
Collectively, the top fifteen business travel markets are expected to account for US$1.43 trillion, representing approximately 84% of total worldwide spending. Among these leading markets, Brazil, Australia, South Korea, Türkiye and Japan are projected to record some of the strongest annual growth rates during the year.
Although mining, quarrying, healthcare and education are forecast to experience the fastest business travel spending growth through 2030, these industries currently represent only a small proportion of overall market demand. Consequently, while they may create valuable opportunities for airlines, hotels and travel suppliers, they are unlikely to reshape the broader global business travel landscape.
Manufacturing and utilities are expected to grow at a slower pace, yet together they already account for more than 40% of worldwide business travel expenditure. Their continued importance means these sectors will remain among the biggest contributors to future travel and tourism demand despite comparatively lower growth rates.
The report also includes insights from more than 4,700 business travellers across 66 international markets, revealing continued resilience despite higher travel costs and an increasingly uncertain global environment. Nearly three-quarters of respondents reported travelling as much as or more than in previous years, with Asia Pacific recording the highest levels of sustained business travel activity.
Air travel remains the preferred transport option, while premium cabin demand continues to stay strong among corporate travellers. Rail also maintains a significant role across Europe and Asia Pacific, and managed travel programmes remain widely used, with most companies encouraging bookings through approved travel management companies or corporate booking platforms.
Despite persistent geopolitical risks and rising transportation costs, the overall outlook for business travel remains encouraging as companies continue investing in international growth, collaboration and customer engagement. The industry appears to be entering a period where smarter, more targeted travel replaces higher travel volumes, supporting sustainable long-term expansion.
For airlines, hotels, travel management companies and the wider tourism industry, the challenge will increasingly be delivering greater value, operational efficiency and seamless travel experiences as corporate clients seek measurable returns from every journey.
GBTA forecasts global business travel spending will reach US$1.71 trillion in 2026.
Approximately 1.84 billion business trips are forecast globally.
Higher airfares, accommodation costs, transport expenses and other travel-related prices are driving spending growth faster than travel volume.
The United States and China remain the world’s largest business travel markets, together accounting for nearly half of global spending.
Investment in AI, digital infrastructure and enterprise technology is increasing demand for project-based travel, international collaboration and customer engagement, supporting continued growth across global travel and tourism.
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