Business travel confidence is rebounding after a sharp dip earlier this year, with buyers and suppliers entering 2027 with a more positive outlook.
According to the latest Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) poll, optimism is rising sharply among business travel professionals worldwide, with 63% positive about the industry’s outlook for the next 12 months, up from 41% in April. Just 7% are pessimistic, down from 24%.
The rebound follows a period of uncertainty tied to geopolitical tensions and concerns about rising jet fuel and travel costs.
Optimism increased among both corporate travel buyers and suppliers. Among buyers, 61% are now optimistic, compared with 39% in April. Among suppliers and travel management companies, optimism rose from 42% to 64%.
Europe saw the biggest turnaround. In April, 38% of European respondents were pessimistic and just 21% optimistic. In the latest poll, 55% are optimistic and 11% pessimistic, but those numbers are still below the global average of 63%.
More Trips, Bigger Budgets
The improved outlook is also showing up in travel and spending expectations.
Nearly half (45%) of corporate buyers expect the number of business trips at their organizations to increase in 2026, up from 30% in April. At the same time, 56% expect travel spending to rise, compared with 43% in April.
That gap between spending and trip volume reflects the continued pressure on travel costs. Rising travel costs were cited as the biggest factor influencing travel planning by 69% of buyers. Geopolitical uncertainty followed at 45%, while internal approvals and justification for travel came in at 29%.
For suppliers and TMCs, geopolitical uncertainty was the leading concern, cited by 60%, followed by rising operating costs at 44%.
Meetings are also holding relatively steady. Thirty-one percent of buyers expect the number of meetings requiring business travel to increase this year, while 49% expect no change.
Regional Travel Takes the Lead
Regional travel is expected to drive much of the activity. Nearly half of European buyers (47%) anticipate more travel within Europe over the next 12 months, while 43% of North American buyers expect more travel within North America.
The Middle East stands apart from the broader recovery. Thirty-four percent of buyers expect their organizations’ travel to the region to decrease over the next year, compared with 14% who expect an increase. Among suppliers and TMCs, 40% expect customer demand for Middle East travel to decline.
For companies expecting more travel to a given region, business growth and market expansion are key drivers in Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America.
In North America, customer, client and partner meetings (58%) and internal meetings and team collaboration (57%) ranked slightly ahead of business growth (53%)
GBTA conducted the poll online Aug. 27-Sept. 9, drawing responses from 604 corporate travel managers, suppliers and intermediaries worldwide.
You May Also Be Interested In…
Meetings Industry Finds Firmer Footing in Q3
The Next Incentive Destination Is Somewhere New
The $3.1 Trillion Case for Getting People in a Room
