Trends in Business Travel for 2025

Five years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic brought business travel to an abrupt halt — and in the ensuing years, teams got used to fewer trips and more virtual meetings. But as we enter the second half of the decade, experts expect business travel to continue its return to normal. The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) projects total business travel spending to hit US $2 trillion by 2028. Below are some of the top business travel trends of 2025, including the popularity of events, the growing focus on comfort, and emergence of AI in travel booking.

Back to normal — and beyond?

After a couple years of economic uncertainty, 40% of businesses expect to increase the amount they travel in fiscal year 2025, according to Flight Centre Travel Group’s “State of the Market” survey. EMEA stands out as a hub for business travel, with the region showing the largest increase in travel intention. Meanwhile, the APAC region saw a projected 41% jump in business travel spending in 2024 as China’s travel industry sees a resurgence. Now the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) says business travel is on track to exceed pre-pandemic levels — completing the post-pandemic comeback faster than expected. 

Event-oriented travel

While business leaders might have traveled far for important one-on-one meetings in the past, these conversations are being relegated to online video conferencing platforms. Now, business travel is focused more on events, conferences, or “all-hands” meet-ups for distributed teams. According to Deloitte’s Business Travel Report, 65% of business travelers cited a desire to attend more events as a reason for their increased travel spend. But as event attendance rises around the globe, so do event costs — with the average cost per attendee rising from US $88 per day in 2021 to US $169 per day in 2025.

Bleisure isn’t going anywhere

The rise of “bleisure” — blending a bit of leisure into a business trip — is proving to be more than just a post-pandemic blip. An American Express survey notes that 67% of business travelers are interested in bleisure, particularly among Gen Z and Millennial travelers. And Bloomberg finds that 37% of premium travelers see business trips as a chance to explore places they might not have visited otherwise. Now business leaders are listening, with 80% of companies supporting blended travel in their travel policies.

Encouraging greener travel

Corporations remain focused on sustainability, with 9 out of 10 travel decision-makers in Mastercard’s survey saying they’re more focused on business travel-related emissions. Some companies are integrating emissions-related data into their booking engines, giving employees the chance to choose more sustainable flights and hotels. For instance, they might opt for Air France, which is turning to Sustainable Aviation Fuel to hit its target of a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions per passenger/km by 30%. Still, only 1 in 10 travelers say they always factor in emissions data when selecting flights, while half “occasionally” factor it in. Look for this number to rise as more companies integrate sustainability data into their traveling purchasing path.

AI prepares for takeoff

While AI makes waves across the business landscape, no AI-driven booking tool has emerged as an industry favorite. Amex GBT, the largest travel management company by market share, has made a series of AI acquisitions to enhance their software. Meanwhile, upstarts like Otto are raising impressive seed rounds as they look to disrupt the industry. But if AI hasn’t become the standard in travel booking yet, it has found use in the smart luggage market, which is projected to hit a market size of US $6.9 billion over the next decade.

Around the globe, businesses are taking to the skies at levels we haven’t seen since before the pandemic. While price increases and sustainability concerns present some challenges, this era of business travel is still ripe with opportunity. AI will continue to find applications in the sector, making travel more efficient and sustainable. And the continued rise of bleisure will have knock-on effects for local economies. So, while delays and slowdowns made for bumpy travel in the early years of this decade, 2025 is looking clear for takeoff.

For more information on the evolving business landscape, be sure to register for the 2025 WTCA Global Business Forum (GBF), taking place April 6-9 in Marseille, France. Want to get involved or learn more? Visit the 2025 WTCA GBF website at https://wtca.swoogo.com/2025gbf .

Want to learn more about WTCA? Visit the WTCA website at www.wtca.org .