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Check-In with Suzanne
Two Words That Will Sum Up the Business Travel Industry in 2025
With a new year in motion, the business travel industry is enthusiastically planning its key strategies and initiatives for 2025. Our industry is poised for significant growth, with global spending projected to reach a new high of $1.63 trillion. While sentiment is optimistic, navigating challenges will be crucial, as reflected by our latest GBTA poll. Balancing ambitious goals with practical constraints will be key in 2025.
So what will drive the next era in how our industry approaches the management of corporate journeys? Two words: “travel smarter.”
In 2025, our industry will make progress on the key questions of how and why we travel for work, setting the groundwork for its future. Business travel will continue pivoting towards purpose-driven trips, smarter tech, and sustainable practices while ensuring the traveler and trip ROI are front and center. In our poll, industry professionals told us cost control remains paramount alongside traveler safety and return on investment of travel. Rising travel costs, technology evolution and employee travel program compliance are also top of mind.
How will our industry make progress on its path to traveling smarter? Here are a few focus areas we see for the year ahead…
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Productivity-driven trips. There will be a greater emphasis on making every trip count. There will be a continuing move away from short, single-purpose trips towards longer, more impactful journeys that maximize value for every dollar invested. Why fly for one meeting when you can conquer three?
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Personalized approaches. Leveraging artificial intelligence and understanding changing traveler preferences will lead to more tailored travel options and experiences, alongside tech-driven convenience to drive enhanced productivity. Personalization will begin to rewrite the rule book of business travel.
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Responsible purposes. From more eco-friendly options to prioritizing safety, 2025 will be a year where sustainability meets duty of care. Ensuring the wellbeing and safety of employees on the road will continue to be paramount. And corporate travel policy evolution is a consistent, top trending buyer topic in our member-fueled GBTA Hub, showing the important connection between organizations and their travelers.
We believe 2025 is poised to be a landmark year for business travel. We will see business travel that is more productive, more personalized and more responsible. The industry is no longer desperate to bounce back—rather eager to move forward for the better.
As the global business and geopolitical environments evolve so, too, GBTA is committed to making it a landmark year for our members, partners and industry. By fostering our communities worldwide through in-person and virtual events. By delivering exceptional education, research and resources. And by advocating for the industry’s interests and showcasing the value and positive impact of business travel across all regions.
Wishing a happy and prosperous new year to all – let’s travel smarter together.
Suzanne
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