Global spend for the segment is currently worth US$1.57 trillion – a figure expected to hit US$1.69 trillion in 2026, and further climb to US$2 trillion in 2029, Neufang revealed at FACTS in Sydney this week.
In Australia, estimated business travel spend is A$42.7 billion in 2025, making it the 12th-largest business travel market in the world and the 5th largest in APAC.
In fact, Australia’s business travel spend has performed better than the global average since COVID, and by the end of this year, is expected to reach 117% of its pre-COVID levels.
Neufang also shared that optimism among travel professionals is highest in the Asia Pacific region, at 55%, compared to the 43% global average, and significantly higher than the 27% recorded in the region in Jun 2025.
Additionally, 35% of non-US industry professionals said their company is exploring new trade or vendor relationships outside the US – with APAC as the second-most mentioned region.
The GBTA leader also highlighted potential upsides that could impact the business travel forecast, including trade policy stabilisation, key markets regaining momentum, and AI-driven productivity gains, while potential dampeners included rising tariffs and tensions, economic uncertainty, and geopolitical conflicts.
