Outcomes spotlight progress in journey quantity and spend; AI consciousness, sustainability adoption and workforce shifts additionally amongst key findings

Professionals within the enterprise journey trade stay up for an engaged and productive 12 months, in response to the primary Business Travel Outlook Poll of 2025, launched in the present day by the World Enterprise Journey Affiliation (GBTA). Whereas shifting financial situations, geopolitical considerations and technology-driven modifications proceed to be areas of uncertainty, the ballot outcomes present an total optimistic trade trajectory with nearly half (48%) of journey patrons anticipating their firms to take extra enterprise journeys in 2025, and almost 20% extra (57%) anticipating elevated journey spending this 12 months.

Different findings round NDC, know-how and AI integration, company sustainability commitments, workforce and hiring challenges, and developments in office expectations level to an revolutionary and inclusive trade that continues to advance and adapt.

“As enterprise journey continues to evolve, journey professionals should navigate a panorama formed by know-how transformation, geopolitical elements and sustainability imperatives,” stated Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA. “The 12 months’s first ballot underscores an optimistic but measured method as firms stability progress with strategic investments in innovation, workforce wants and sustainability efforts.”

Now in its thirty sixth version, the ballot displays responses from nearly 800 enterprise journey professionals worldwide, providing vital insights into the tendencies, challenges and future expectations for international enterprise journey. Listed here are among the key findings from the 2025 Q1 GBTA Business Travel Industry Outlook Poll (be aware all financial figures are in USD):

Wanting Again: Enterprise Journey Positive aspects Momentum as a Complete…

2024 was a very good 12 months for enterprise journey, with seven in ten (71%) journey patrons reporting a rise of their firm’s enterprise journey bookings in comparison with 2023. This result’s even higher than the sooner projections reported in GBTA’s January 2024 Outlook Poll, when almost three in 5 (60%) journey patrons anticipated extra enterprise journey within the upcoming 12 months.

Enterprise journey spending was additionally larger in 2024 than anticipated, with almost 4 in 5 patrons (77%) indicating their firm’s spend elevated final 12 months. Comparatively, two-thirds (67%) of patrons anticipated a rise when requested initially of 2024.

… However There Are Regional Variations

North America (NORAM) led the best way with progress in 2024 with 4 in 5 (81%) journey patrons there reporting their enterprise journey spend elevated final 12 months.

Asia Pacific (APAC) led international enterprise journey spend progress final 12 months, with greater than three in 4 (78%) patrons from that area reporting the next quantity of journeys in comparison with 2023 – together with 30% who noticed a major improve.

Wanting Forward: 2025 Enterprise Journey Predictions

Regionally, anticipated enterprise journey spending varies, however is optimistic total with 48% predicting extra quantity and 57% extra spend in 2025 vs. 2024. APAC journey patrons replicate probably the most optimism with 63% indicating they’re planning to spend “extra” or “much more” in 2025, adopted by NORAM journey patrons at 57%.

European patrons are considerably extra cautious in terms of each anticipated journey quantity and spend. One-third (37%) of European patrons count on elevated journey quantity – the bottom of any area – whereas totally half (50%) anticipate “extra” or “much more” spending. On the cautious facet, almost one in 5 (19%) foresee a decline of their firm’s enterprise journey quantity in 2025.

Half of patrons from NORAM (50%) are optimistic about their firm’s enterprise journey quantity and say their firm is planning “extra” or “much more” journeys this 12 months.

Journey patrons count on gross sales and account administration journeys will account for greater than one-quarter (27%) of their firm’s journey spend on common. Different anticipated key varieties of journey embody inside firm conferences (21%), conferences and commerce reveals (14%) and repair journeys (13%).

Key Trade Developments & Challenges for 2025

Even with anticipated progress in enterprise journey this 12 months, ballot outcomes point out firms stay price aware and selective when making enterprise journey selections. Moreover, the trade continues to prioritize know-how and AI integration, whereas sustainability and workforce-related efforts are shaping company journey insurance policies. And though hybrid work stays the dominant journey trade office mannequin, specifically for purchaser firms, extra firms will implement stricter return-to-office insurance policies in 2025.

Particularly:

• For journey applications, AI adoption stays sluggish with solely 34% of patrons saying their program plans to include AI in vital methods this 12 months.

• Practically one-third (30%) of patrons are reevaluating or altering their Journey Administration Firm (TMC) in 2025, with 4 in ten (39%) citing dissatisfaction with TMC know-how and 37% citing service high quality considerations as key causes. Moreover, one-fifth (20%) point out their TMC’s problem with NDC bookings as a cause they’re contemplating a change.

• One-third (33%) of patrons count on elevated funding in planet-focused sustainable journey practices, with APAC (55%) and Europe (46%) main these efforts. In the meantime, 29% of firms plan to extend assist for people-focused initiatives, although 25% of patrons are unaware of their firm’s people-focused initiatives.

• The client-side of the enterprise journey trade’s hiring panorama stays aggressive with simply 16% of journey patrons planning so as to add workers inside their journey applications in 2025.

• However, journey provider, TMC and tech firms are hiring, with 4 in 10 (41%) provider and TMC respondents planning so as to add workers this 12 months. Nonetheless, NORAM lags, with one-third (35%) of provider/TMC respondents anticipating their firm so as to add workers this 12 months, in comparison with nearly half (45%) of European suppliers and TMCs.

• Respondents from all areas say key limitations dealing with the complete trade find certified candidates in 2024 included unattractive salaries (54%), insufficient budgets for brand new roles (40%) and a rising demand for distant work (42%), which is a direct distinction with efforts by some firms to restrict distant positions. Notably, almost half (47%) of provider/TMC respondents cite distant work preferences as a key barrier, indicating a widening hole between workforce expectations and employer insurance policies (see beneath).

• Distant work insurance policies proceed to evolve. Although half (51%) of GBTA stakeholders say their firms haven’t modified their insurance policies from 2024, one-third (32%) report their firms have made earn a living from home (WFH) insurance policies stricter by requiring workers to be within the workplace extra usually. Provider/TMC respondents (34%) are about equally doubtless as patrons (31%) to say their firm carried out stricter WFH insurance policies over the previous 12 months. Nonetheless, suppliers and TMCs had stricter insurance policies to start with, as proven in final January’s GBTA Enterprise Journey Outlook Ballot.

• Hybrid work schedules are most prevalent in Europe, the place greater than three-quarters (77%) of enterprise journey professionals report their firm has a hybrid work coverage for 2025, adopted by APAC (62%), LATAM (58%) and NORAM (51%).

Methodology

A complete of 786 responses have been acquired by GBTA from international journey patrons, suppliers and different trade professionals throughout North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific between January 21-31, 2025.

View the complete 36th GBTA poll results and key highlights, together with the full series of GBTA Enterprise Journey Trade Outlook polls.