Industry plans for disciplined growth as business travel confidence rebounds
Business travel confidence has surged to its highest level so far in 2026, rebounding sharply from the uncertainty that weighed on sentiment earlier this year.
Additionally, industry buyers and suppliers are increasingly optimistic about the next 12 months, with expectations for travel spending, trip volume and revenue all strengthening despite continued concerns about rising costs and geopolitical risk.
In the latest Global Business Travel Association’s (GBTA) poll, over 600 business travel professionals worldwide, nearly two-thirds (63%) are optimistic about the industry outlook moving into 2027, up from 41% in GBTA’s April poll and above the 59% recorded in January.
Pessimism fell from 24% in April to 7%. The sharp drop in confidence reflected in the April poll amid the Iran conflict and concerns over jet fuel prices has now reversed among buyers and suppliers and across every major region.
Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA, said that: “Business travel continues to prove its resilience as well as its value as a catalyst for growth, collaboration and customer engagement.”
Neufang continued: “The rebound in sentiment we’re seeing across almost all regions is not simply about more travel, it’s about organizations becoming increasingly deliberate about where and why they travel. That combination of confidence, discipline and strategic investment bodes well for the industry’s continued momentum.”
The latest GBTA poll results show sentiment has swung significantly over the past months. Optimism fell to 28% in June 2025, rose to 59% in January 2026, and dropped to 41% in April before climbing again in September.
- Nearly two-thirds of respondents overall (63%) are optimistic about the business travel industry over the next 12 months, up 22 percentage points from April.
- Only 7% are pessimistic, a big improvement over the 24% expressing pessimism in April.
- Corporate travel buyers and travel suppliers moved in step. Optimism rose from 39% to 61% among buyers, and from 42% to 64% among suppliers and travel management companies (TMCs).
- In terms of regions, Europe recorded the largest turnaround. In April, it was the only region where pessimism outweighed optimism, with 38% of Europe-based respondents pessimistic and 21% optimistic. In September, 55% are optimistic and 11% are pessimistic, a 61-percentage-point increase in net optimism, from -17 to +44. Still, optimism in Europe remains below the global average of 63%.
Said Neufang: “Rising costs and geopolitical risk are now part of everyday planning for managed travel programs. Experienced business travel professionals are the people deciding which trips go ahead, keeping travelers safe and holding budgets steady when conditions shift. That expertise is what allows organizations’ confidence in travel and meetings to remain steady and grow.”
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