As event marketers can attest, travel costs are up. But companies appear to be accepting this new cost of doing business as corporate travel spending is making a modest comeback this year. Planet-focused travel practices continue to gain steam, with 33 percent of corporate travelers reporting “increased investment” in sustainable travel practices, according to the Global Business Travel Association. And for events specifically, optimism abounds, as 66 percent of meeting planners expect travel spending to grow in the future with “a majority of events” taking place in-person this year, according to the Amex GBT 2025 Global Meetings and Events Forecast.
The volatility of business travel in 2024 has been replaced by cautious optimism in 2025, as well as some interesting shifts in travel habits. We break down some of the latest facts, figures, and opportunities.
T&E Budget Improvement
Despite “shifting economic conditions, geopolitical concerns and technology-driven changes” driving uncertainty in the corporate arena, the GBTA’s Business Travel Outlook Poll of 2025 finds that almost half (48 percent) of travel buyers are “expecting their companies to take more business trips” in 2025, and nearly 20 percent (57 percent) are anticipating increased travel spending this year. Positive news for event marketers.
Despite a tumultuous start to 2024 amid T&E freezes and cutbacks, the year ultimately saw positive spending. Some 77 percent of travel buyers indicated their company’s spend increased last year. This is up from early forecasts, in which 67 percent of buyers anticipated an increase when asked at the start of 2024, according to the GTBA.
Companies continue to leverage AI tools for smart travel planning in 2025. From major travel booking platforms offering built-in travel assistants, to travel tools that churn out individual and group itineraries that update in real-time, to chatbot agents, this high-tech efficiency trend that emerged in 2024 is here to stay.
Evolving Travel Attitudes
Move aside “bleisure” travel. Hilton’s annual trends report explores the concept of the “frolleague,” with business travelers now blending their colleagues and friends. Nearly 30 percent of business travelers are “actively choosing” to travel on leisure trips with colleagues (which could make off-site experiences during corporate events all the more important).
Last year, event marketers told us they were anticipating more business travelers bringing spouses and children along with them for extended stays at conference destinations, going so far as to build leisure time into event agendas to accommodate personal plans. And the data this year points to more support for this trend, as American Express’s 2025 Global Travel Trends Report found that 72 percent of millennials and Gen Z-aged parents are willing to take their children out of school to travel as a family during the off-season, and 81 percent prefer destinations that are family-centric and have activities for all ages.
And post-pandemic laptop lugging? It’s now a lifestyle. Deloitte’s 2025 Travel Outlook finds that the share of travelers planning to do some work on their longest trip of the season rose significantly year-over-year, from a third to half.
‘Mega-Decade’ Event Impacts
The United States will become a major international destination over the next few years due to “mega-decade” events driving travel spending. Think: The FIFA 2026 World Cup, America’s 250th Anniversary, the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles; and looking ahead, the Men’s and Women’s Rugby World Cups in 2031 and 2033, and the 2034 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. U.S. Travel forecasts 8.8 percent growth for inbound international visits in 2025 and 8.9 percent growth in 2026. Wheels up.
Image Credit: iStock/Alina Naumova
