Key Highlights:

• A growing global economy boosts business travel. Seven in 10 travel buyers (71%) say their company’s business travel bookings increased last year.
• Asia Pacific (APAC) led global business travel spend growth last year, with more than three in four (78%) buyers in the region reporting a higher volume of trips compared to 2023 – including 30% who saw a significant increase.
• Travel buyers generally have a positive outlook for the year ahead. Nearly half (48%) expect their company will take more business trips this year than it did last year. Only 12% expect their company will take fewer trips.
• Travel programs plan to pursue a number of strategic initiatives this year. One-third (30%) are evaluating/changing Travel Management Companies (TMCs), with technology mentioned as the top reason for considering a switch.
• Travel programs are slow to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI). Only about one-third of buyers (34%) expect their program will apply AI in significant ways this year.
• Even as business travel increases, travel programs remain cautious about adding staff. Only 16% of buyers expect their travel program’s staff size will increase this year.
• Unlike travel programs, travel companies continue to add staff. Four in 10 supplier and TMC respondents (41%) expect their company will add staff this year. Only 6% expect their company will reduce staff. However, AI is expected to limit job growth. Of the supplier/TMC respondents who do not expect their company’s staff size will increase, almost one-third (31%) mention efficiencies achieved through AI or other technologies as a reason.
• Work policies become stricter – especially at supplier/TMC companies. One-third of travel supplier/TMC respondents (34%) say their company’s Work-From-Home (WFH) policies have become stricter over the past year. Employees are required to report to an office more often, or companies are more strictly enforcing requirements they already had.
• Hybrid work schedules are most prevalent in Europe, where more than three-quarters (77%) of business travel professionals report their company has a hybrid work policy for 2025, followed by APAC (62%), LATAM (58%) and NORAM (51%).
• Business travel companies remain committed to people-focused initiatives. A large majority of supplier/TMC respondents (77%) expect their company will increase or maintain support of people-focused initiatives (such as accessibility and inclusion) this year.
• Business travel companies ramp up sustainability efforts. Almost half of supplier/TMC respondents (48%) expect their company will increase support of sustainability efforts this year.

• A Look Back – and a Look Ahead
• Travel Program Initiatives
• Staffing and Work Policies
• People and Planet Programs
• Respondent Profile