Despite today’s climate of uncertainty, global business industry professionals are becoming more confident that they can navigate growing challenges.

After several years of volatility, business travel professionals are tentatively feeling better about the road ahead. New findings from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA)  indicate a marked shift in sentiment, even as forecasts suggest that trip volume, spending and revenue may taper through the remainder of 2025.

According to GBTA’s 37th Business Travel Industry Outlook, 43% of respondents now report feeling positive about the future of business travel. That’s a significant increase from just 28% who expressed similar confidence in June. While a rebound in optimism is noteworthy, the data also points to a more complex reality: Organizations still expect to tighten budgets and anticipate fewer trips overall.

Spending Under Pressure

Thirty percent of global buyers expect their travel spend to decline this year, by an average of 19%. A major factor influencing spending expectations is U.S. government action; more than one-third of global buyers foresee these actions directly reducing their 2025 travel volume by a similar margin. For organizations heavily reliant on U.S. policy environments or cross-border movement, this uncertainty is adding new layers of planning complexity.

Suppliers, meanwhile, are moderating their outlook. In June, nearly half (48%) anticipated decreased travel revenue; that number dropped to 37% in the most recent survey. While the scale of the expected revenue decline remains steady at around 16%, this shift suggests that industry suppliers are preparing for a soft landing rather than a deeper contraction.

Lodging partners are still the most cautious. Fifty-nine percent expect lower revenue, slightly higher than earlier this year. Airlines also show rising concern: 50% now anticipate revenue losses, up from 39% in June.

New Travel Patterns: Fewer Day Trips, Longer Stays

Corporate travel behavior continues to evolve in ways relevant to event planners. Thirty-nine percent of buyers report an increase in “linked” or multi-meeting/multi-destination trips. Longer trip durations are on the rise as well, though day trips are shrinking. Premium economy is also gaining favor, reflecting travelers’ desire for comfort when trips extend.

At the same time, most companies still restrict alternative lodging options. Fifty-seven percent prohibit employees from using short-term rentals like Airbnb, while just 8% always allow it—reinforcing continued preference for traditional hospitality partners.

Bleisure Moves Mainstream

The blending of business and leisure travel—once considered a perk—is quickly becoming part of standard policy. Forty-three percent of travel programs now have defined “bleisure” guidelines in place, citing two main benefits: improved employee satisfaction (71%) and better work-life balance (68%).

However, more flexibility means more oversight. Travel managers say bleisure complicates duty of care (59%), expense tracking (55%) and insurance coverage (46%).

Interestingly, two in five travel managers also report employees are willing to pay out-of-pocket for upgrades — from premium cabins to lounge access and extra hotel nights — suggesting that travelers value comfort enough to invest personally when corporate policies fall short.

Accessibility: Still Under-Served

Despite growing awareness, accessibility remains an area needing significant investment. Only 18% of buyers say their companies adequately support travelers requiring accommodations; 35% of suppliers say they can meet those needs. Barriers include lack of employee awareness (50%), insufficient supplier information (30%), and complexity in booking supported services (30%).

AI Adoption Accelerates

Nearly half of suppliers and travel management professionals — and a third of buyers — are already experimenting with autonomous AI tools. The highest-value use cases include customer service, traveler personalization, automated itinerary planning and expense reconciliation. Still, security concerns and integration challenges continue to slow widespread adoption.

Outlook: Opportunity Amid Uncertainty

For meeting and event professionals, the takeaway is two-fold: the industry is re-energizing, and traveler expectations are shifting. Longer itineraries, more complex trip structures, flexible bleisure policies and increasing AI integration point to new opportunities to better serve participants. Yet fiscal caution, government-driven friction, and accessibility gaps demand careful strategy.

Optimism is back — but it comes with strings attached.