Changes to U.S. trade policies and border enforcement have led to a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the future of business travel. According to a recent poll by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), industry professionals are expecting a downturn in business travel volume. Over one-third of global travel managers, who are responsible for managing their companies' travel arrangements, predict that travel volume will take a serious dip in 2025. This is quite a stark contrast to expectations less than a year ago when nearly 50% of buyers responding to a GBTA survey predicted their companies would take more trips.
Further fueling the bleak outlook are major airlines like United Airlines and Delta Air Lines which have expressed concerns about a possible recessionary environment impacting the travel industry. United Airlines has recently issued a warning of potential downturn while Delta Air Lines withdrew its full-year forecast for 2025.
However, not all have shared this pessimistic view. Earlier this year, almost 60% respondents of a GBTA survey expected increased travel spending for the year and Marriott, a hotel operator, had reported business travel returning to pre-pandemic levels.
Despite optimistic perspectives, a new GBTA survey indicates that almost 30% of buyers predict an average 20% decrease in business travel spending for the year. GBTA CEO Suzanne Neufang highlights that productive and crucial business travel could be at risk amid economic uncertainty and added restrictions.