Almost half (48%) of travel buyers expect their companies to take more business trips in 2025, and more than half (57%) anticipate increased travel spending this year, according to the GBTA’s first Business Travel Outlook Poll of 2025.

Suzanne Neufang, CEO, said, “The year’s first poll underscores an optimistic yet measured approach as companies balance growth with strategic investments in innovation, workforce needs and sustainability efforts.”

Now in its 36th edition, the poll reflects responses from almost 800 business travel professionals worldwide, offering insights into the trends, challenges and future expectations for global business travel.

Highlights of the survey include:

• 2024 was a good year for business travel, with 71% of travel buyers reporting an increase in their company’s business travel bookings compared with 2023.
• Business travel spending was also higher in 2024 than anticipated, with nearly 4 in 5 buyers (77%) indicating their company’s spend increased last year.
• North America led the way in growth in 2024, with 4 in 5 (81%) travel buyers in the region reporting their business travel spend increased last year. Asia-Pacific led global business travel spend growth last year, with more than 3 in 4 (78%) buyers from that region reporting a higher volume of trips compared with 2023 —– including 30% who saw a significant increase.
• For travel programs, AI adoption remains slow, with only 34% of buyers saying their program plans to incorporate AI in significant ways this year.
• Nearly one-third (30%) of buyers are reevaluating or changing their TMC in 2025, with almost 4 in 10 (39%) citing dissatisfaction with TMC technology and 37% citing service quality concerns as key reasons. Additionally, 20% mention their TMC’s difficulty with NDC bookings as a reason they are considering a change.
• One-third (33%) of buyers expect increased investment in planet-focused sustainable travel practices, with Asia-Pacific (55%) and Europe (46%) leading these efforts. Meanwhile, 29% of companies plan to increase support for people-focused initiatives, though 25% of buyers are unaware of their company’s people-focused initiatives.
• The buyer side of the business travel industry’s hiring landscape remains competitive, with just 16% of travel buyers planning to add staff within their travel programs in 2025.
• On the other hand, travel supplier, TMC and tech companies are hiring, with 4 in 10 (41%) supplier and TMC respondents planning to add staff this year.
• Respondents from all regions say key barriers facing the entire industry in finding qualified candidates in 2024 included unattractive salaries (54%), inadequate budgets for new roles (40%) and a growing demand for remote work (42%), which is a direct contrast with efforts by some corporations to limit remote positions. Notably, nearly half (47%) of supplier/TMC respondents cite remote work preferences as a key barrier, indicating a widening gap between workforce expectations and employer policies.