European Business Travel Spending Forecast to Reach €404 Billion in 2026 As Europe-Originating Trip Volume Reaches 600 Million

VIENNA, AUSTRIA – Europe-originating business travel spending is forecast to reach €404.0 billion ($453.9 billion) in 2026, up 7.0% year over year, demonstrating continued resilience amid a complex business environment. European-based organisations are expected to generate approximately 600 million business trips this year.

While both spending and volume are growing, spending is rising much faster than travel activity. European business trip volume is projected to grow by just 0.7% in 2026, compared with the 7.0% projected increase in spending, underscoring a widening gap between how much is being spent and the number of trips being taken. Globally, business travel spending is forecast to grow by 7.2% in 2026, compared with 1.3% growth in trip volume.

Global business travel spending overall is forecast to reach €1.52 trillion ($1.71 trillion) this year. Within that spend, Europe remains one of the world’s largest business travel markets, accounting for 27% of global business travel spending in 2026, on par with North America’s share.

The outlook indicates more growth beyond 2026, with total European business travel spending in 2027 expected to reach €425.0 billion ($477.5 billion) and €471.0 billion ($529.1 billion) by 2030.

The value generated by business travel also extends well beyond individual organisations and travellers. In London alone, £11.2 billion ($15.0 billion) in direct business traveller spending in the destination in 2024 supported £17.9 billion ($24.0 billion) in total economic output, £4.8 billion ($6.4 billion) in GDP and 98,051 jobs. This demonstrates the significant economic contribution business travel makes to major European destinations.

This is according to new regional findings shared at the GBTA + VDR Europe Conference 2026 in Partnership with ABTA from the 2026 GBTA Global Business Travel Index (“GBTA BTI”) and also the newly published GBTA Global Cities Economic Impact Study.

Europe's business travel sector continues to show remarkable strength and staying power. Even as companies navigate a complex business environment, the forecast shows they continue to place significant value on bringing people together for both external and internal meetings. At the same time, the gap between pace of growth in spending versus trip volume means companies and corporate travel managers are increasingly focused on ensuring that every trip delivers value.

Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA

Europe Accounts for More Than a Quarter of Global Business Travel Spending

Based on 2026 GBTA BTI forecasts, Western Europe is anticipated to generate €354.9 billion ($398.7 billion) in business travel spending. Central and Eastern Europe, classified as “Emerging Europe” in the GBTA BTI, is expected to contribute €49.1 billion ($55.2 billion).

• Western Europe accounts for the large majority of the regional market, while Central and Eastern Europe is forecast to grow more quickly in 2026, at 10.8% versus 6.5% for Western Europe.

• Europe’s approximately 600 million business trips are expected to account for one-third (33%) of the 1.84 billion business trips forecast globally in 2026, ahead of North America at 492 million trips.

Europe's largest origin markets continue to account for a significant share of regional spending.

• Germany leads at €79.9 billion ($89.7 billion), followed by the United Kingdom at £50.0 billion ($66.7 billion), France at €45.0 billion ($50.6 billion), Italy at €39.5 billion ($44.4 billion) and Spain at €26.5 billion ($29.8 billion).

• Together, these five markets represent approximately 62% of Europe's forecast 2026 business travel spending based on GBTA BTI data.

• Germany accounts for 19.8% of European business travel spending, followed by the UK (14.7%), France (11.1%), Italy (9.8%) and Spain (6.6%).

How and Why Europeans Are Travelling for Business

The European business traveller also remains highly active.

• Seventy-four percent of business travellers reported they expect their overall business travel to be the same amount or more frequent in 2026 compared with 2025. Just over half, 53%, reported taking one to two business trips of 80 kilometres or more in 2025, while 36% took three to 10 trips.

Europe also has a meaningful cross-border business travel component.

• Thirty-seven percent of European business travellers say their work trips were international while 63% were domestic, when asked about their 2025 business travel. Across 2025 trips, 57% included an overnight stay and 43% were same-day, and the average European overnight business trip lasted 3.6 nights.

For European travellers, the leading reason they cited for taking to the road or air for work is client, sales or account management meetings, followed by training, project work, and conferences or conventions.

• Ground transportation is important in the region. Among European business travellers surveyed about transportation modes used during their 2025 trips, 43% included travel by car, 34% by air and 25% by rail.

• Among those flying, economy was the most commonly reported cabin class at 31%, while among carrier types, 58% reported using a full-service or legacy airline on their last business trip.

Blended business and personal travel also remains prevalent for European travellers.

• More than half, 55%, expect to extend a business trip with a personal travel aspect in 2026, highlighting the continued intersection between travel for work and personal trips.

At the same time, how business travellers pay for and manage their work trips continues to evolve.

• Two in five (43%) European business travellers use an expense-management system, and 64% report their company provides them with a corporate card.

• Among European travellers with a corporate card, 61% charge at least half of their travel spending to it, and 57% have added their corporate card to a mobile wallet.

Business Travel Drives Economic Impact Across European Cities

GBTA’s economic impact study of 25 major global cities demonstrates how business traveller spending flows through destination economies, supporting businesses serving travellers directly as well as suppliers, workers and public revenues. The analysis measures total direct, indirect and induced impacts on local economic output, GDP, employment, labour income and tax revenues.

Several major European destinations illustrate the scale of that contribution. This can be seen in the study’s top five European cities for business travel spending (based on the latest available 2024 data):

The findings reinforce that business travel's value extends beyond airfare, hotel rooms and meeting costs. Spending by business travellers circulates through destination economies, supporting suppliers, employment, wages and tax revenue.

About the GBTA Research

Now in its 18th year and made possible by Visa, the GBTA BTI tracks business travel trends and forecasts across 72 countries and 44 industries. The 2026 study introduces a new travel volume methodology and includes insights from more than 4,700 business travellers surveyed worldwide in May 2026.

The GBTA Global Cities Economic Impact Study measures the impact of 2024 business traveller spending across 25 global cities in five key regions on economic output, GDP, jobs, labour income and tax revenue.

Visit the GBTA web page for more details about these studies and other GBTA Research.

Media Contact

Debbie Iannaci

GBTA Global Communications, PR & Research [email protected] +1 305 301 7057