Business travel in Europe forecast to surge ahead despite challenges

The GBTA’s latest Business Travel Index Outlook (GBTA BTI) reveals that Europe continues to demonstrate both resilience and growth in business travel spending despite the ongoing global economic challenges and political uncertainty.

GBTA’s BTI’s regional findings show that business travel spending is projected to reach 389.9 billion euros ($448.2 billion USD) in 2026, marking a significant 8.2% increase from 2025.

Those projections position Europe as a key driver of the global business travel recovery, accounting for a substantial share of total global spending and looking ahead, the forecast for Europe remains broadly optimistic.

In 2027, European business travel spending is expected to climb to 414.5 billion euros ($476.5 billion), underscoring the region’s steady momentum. In 2028, European business travel spending is expected to reach 441.6 billion euros ($507.6 billion).

Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA, said that: “The data confirms for Europe what many in the industry are experiencing firsthand — organizations are continuing to invest in business travel as a catalyst for growth, innovation and connection, even in the face of economic and geopolitical uncertainty.”

Neufang continues: “At the same time, sustainability and traveller experience are no longer optional — they’re essential. European companies and business travellers are leading the way in demanding responsible, productive and impactful journeys.”

European business travellers continue to see value in their travels, with 83% agreeing that business travel is worthwhile for achieving business objectives. Three in four (77%) report travelling the same or more in 2025 than in 2019, and the average length of an overnight business trip is 3.1 nights.

When it comes to technology use, 40% of European business travellers say they are comfortable with using AI to book their trips—the lowest of any region globally.

Loyalty programs are important to European travellers (81%) when selecting transportation and lodging.

They are also less likely (57%) than travellers from other regions (North America 68%, Asia Pacific 70%, for example) to combine business and personal travel now versus years prior.

European travellers are more likely to use rail on business trips than those in other regions—38% report using rail on their last trip, compared to just 8% in North America and 4% in Latin America.

A third (32%) of European travellers surveyed said they work at companies with a dedicated corporate travel manager or team.

Go to www.gbta.org for more.