- GBTA: Business travel continues, but confidence falls amid conflict.
- Geopolitical instability is now the sector’s top external risk.
- Firms approve trips while changing routes, event formats and policies.
GLOBAL BUSINESS TRAVEL is continuing in 2026, but companies are less confident as conflict, costs and disruptions reshape plans, according to the Global Business Travel Association. Most firms are still approving trips, meetings and spending while changing routes, event formats and risk policies.
GBTA’s April business travel industry sentiment poll found the shift is strongest in Europe, while the U.S. remains net positive with lower confidence than at the start of the year. The survey of more than 500 travel managers, suppliers and intermediaries showed sentiment has weakened since January.
“What we’re seeing is not a broad pullback from business travel, but a more deliberate and carefully managed approach to it,” said Suzanne Neufang, GBTA’s CEO. “These pressures are reshaping how, where and why companies are traveling now—making experienced business travel professionals more critical than ever to keeping travelers safe, navigating risk and disruption, and controlling budgets so organizations and people can continue to connect and do business.”
Geopolitical instability is now the top external risk for the sector, the report said. Some 79 percent of respondents cited conflict and geopolitical tensions as a top travel risk. In Europe, that rose to 92 percent, compared with 72 percent in North America.
U.S. confidence weakens
In the U.S., confidence remained above pessimism but weakened. In North America, 45 percent of respondents were optimistic in April, down from 59 percent in January, while pessimism rose to 19 percent from 9 percent.
The U.S. also faces hosting pressure. Some 38 percent of buyers said they are less likely to hold multinational meetings in the U.S. than they were six months ago.
Despite those changes, respondents said some in-person meetings remain hard to replace. Some 53 percent cited sales and client meetings as difficult to move online, while 51 percent said the same for conferences and trade shows.
Meetings and events strategies are shifting. Some 56 percent of buyers said their organizations changed meeting or event plans in the past three months. Those changes included moving some events to virtual formats, cited by 26 percent, canceling meetings and reducing attendance, both at 24 percent, and relocating meetings to other markets, at 22 percent. In Europe, 33 percent said they were shifting events online, compared with 21 percent in North America.
Current tensions involving Iran and the Middle East are affecting travel programs. Among buyers, 76 percent said geopolitical conflicts are having a moderate or significant impact on business travel and meeting decisions. Among suppliers, 83 percent said those conflicts are affecting customers.
A recent Amadeus report found modern travel is increasingly used as a mental health reset, with travelers prioritizing emotional well-being, self-discovery and personal growth.
