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Middle East business travel spending to grow by CAGR of 6.1% in 2025: GBTA
Experts gathered at the new Business Events Stage during the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025, part of the newly launched IBTM@ATM Zone, to discuss how regional business travel spending is adapting in response to these global shifts and to explore the financial outlook driving strategic developments across the sector. In partnership with the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the session titled State of the Nation: Navigating the Future of Business Travel in the Middle East provided a thorough analysis of the market dynamics influencing corporate travel budgets and decision-making processes today. Catherine Logan, Regional Senior Vice President EMEA and APAC, Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), said: “In general, the argument for business travel in 2025 is strong, but transformational change will continue to influence how we travel for work around the world. These include economic stability, budget factors, how and where we work, implications of technology, the evolution of sustainability in business travel and the focus on the traveller.” Logan also highlights that sustainably managed business travel is a force for good, driving progress for businesses, governments, economies and people. According to the 2024 GBTA Business Travel Index Outlook Report, the Middle East accounts for 1.2% of global business travel spend and has performed better than any other region post-COVID with spend reaching 19.4% higher than pre-COVID levels. The estimated business travel spending in the Middle East was $18.1 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.1% in 2025, highlighting the region’s strategic importance in the global corporate travel and events ecosystem. Ciaran Kelly, Managing Director of Middle East & Africa, FCM Travel, said: “There is a positive outlook for business travel in the region, backed by trends we are seeing from our customers, surveys, and what our forecasts are for the year ahead. A lot of the growth is due to the public and private projects taking place – it is almost impossible to get a seat on a plane from Dubai to Riyadh, for example, and once you land, hotel availability is limited. Hotel occupancy across the region is the highest globally, around 70-80% mark putting a lot of pressure on hotels, but in general, everything is positive.” Reflecting on the significance of the session, Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “Understanding the shifts in business travel spending is essential for companies that want to remain competitive and resilient in a fast-evolving market. Sessions like this at IBTM@ATM are crucial for providing our attendees with actionable insights and real-world analysis, empowering them to navigate shifting travel patterns and discover new opportunities in the Middle East and beyond.” The Business Events Stage at IBTM@ATM will continue to explore emerging trends across business travel, MICE, and corporate events until Wednesday, 30 April. The sessions will cover various topics, including the integration of AI and future-proofing strategies for business travel, the human connection versus AI in event experiences, new trends in Chinese outbound MICE travel, achieving net zero carbon emissions in the events industry, and advancing climate action through strategic partnerships in business travel, among other topics. The 32nd edition of Arabian Travel Market, held under the theme ‘Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity’, will welcome more than 55,000 travel professionals from 166 countries this week at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), reinforcing Dubai’s pivotal role as a centre for global tourism and business collaboration. Held in conjunction with DWTC, ATM’s strategic partners include Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Destination Partner; Emirates, Official Airline Partner; IHG Hotels & Resorts, Official Hotel Partner; and Al Rais Travel, Official DMC Partner.
Business travel volume will decrease significantly in 2025 amidst US Govt actions: GBTA
Representative Image As a result of recent US government actions including tariffs, cross-border policies and entry restrictions, global business travel professionals are newly navigating a complex and uncertain landscape regarding the potential impact on business travel volume, spending and revenue for 2025. According to a new poll conducted by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), a significant portion of over 900 global industry respondents are anticipating declines ahead and overall optimism has taken a hit in the last few weeks, reflecting the uncertainty gripping the sector and other industries. Recent US government actions were defined in the GBTA poll as tariffs on imported products, US entry restrictions for travellers from specific countries, advisories against travel to the US, cross-border policies resulting in detainment risks, and decreased business travel for US federal employees. As a result of these multiple initiatives, the poll reveals that: Less than half of global buyers (44%) anticipate their organization’s business travel spending and volume in 2025 will not be impacted, compared to 25% of travel suppliers who say the same for their business travel revenue. Almost a third (29%) of global travel buyers expect a decline in business travel volume at their companies in 2025, averaging a 21% decrease. Additionally, a fairly large portion of travel buyers (19%) are uncertain about what the impact will be. Related, 27% of buyers now predict a 20% decrease on average in their business travel spending this year. (Notably, with global business travel spending forecast to reach $1.63 trillion USD in 2025, that could represent a potential decline in spending of up to $88 billion.) 37% of travel suppliers and travel management company (TMC) professionals anticipate a decline of 18% on average in related revenue. Because of overall concerns, only 31% of global industry professionals remain optimistic about the overall industry outlook for this year, while 40% are neutral. This marks a significant decline from GBTA’s November 2024 poll where 67% of global industry professionals reported an optimistic outlook for 2025 and 26% were neutral. “While the outlook for global business travel was incredibly strong coming into 2025, our research now shows increasing concerns and uncertainty within our industry, considering recent actions taken by the US government. Traveling for work plays a vital role in supporting business growth, resilient economies, strong diplomatic ties and valuable connections,” said Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA. “Productive and essential business travel is threatened in times of economic uncertainty or in an environment of additional barriers and restrictions. This undermines economic prosperity and damages the many sectors that rely on global business travel to survive and thrive.” Neufang added there are two key factors to watch that would influence longer-term impact for business travel: if there’s sustained economic pressure or uncertainty weighing on company budgets and if cross-border travel and global workforce mobility to and from the US are restricted. The GBTA poll reflects responses from travel managers (buyers), suppliers, travel management companies and other travel intermediaries from across four regions and 45 countries. Additional key findings include: 7% of buyer organizations have revised their corporate travel policies for travel to or from the US since January 2025, and another one-quarter (25%) say they are planning to or will consider doing so in the future. 64% are staying the course. Additionally, up to 20% have or are considering cancelling, moving or pulling attendance from meetings and events located in the US. 10% are planning or considering cancelling employee attendance at US events. When it comes to relocating meetings or events from the US, a total of 14% say their organization has already done so (8%) or is considering it (6%). Companies located outside of the US are three times more likely to relocate meetings to somewhere other than the US. Respondents’ top concerns for long-term impact of US government actions are related to economics ─ namely business travel costs (54%) and potential budget cuts (40%) ─ along with additional travel processing and administration needs such as visas or documentation (46%). This was followed closely by traveler-focused concerns such as employee willingness to travel to the US and increased safety and duty of care (both at 37%). Additionally, when asked if they personally know someone whose trip has been affected by US border or travel policy changes, 23% of global industry professionals say they do. A total of 905 responses were received by GBTA from global travel buyers, suppliers and other industry professionals across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Africa and Middle East for the poll fielded 31 March to 8 April , 2025.
GBTA onboards Cabi by SKIL as Founding Partner
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s largest business travel trade organization, has onboarded Cabi by SKIL as a Founding Partner for GBTA India. This landmark collaboration is set to reshape the corporate ground transportation landscape, bringing innovation, efficiency, and sustainability to business travel in India and beyond. As GBTA strengthens its presence across strategic alliances with industry pioneers like Cabi by SKIL will play a crucial role in driving forward-thinking mobility solutions. Cabi by SKIL, a leading tech-enabled corporate cab-hailing platform, specializes in enterprise ground transport, event mobility, and high-volume travel logistics. A dominant force in corporate travel, Cabi executed 100,000+ corporate trips in FY 2023-24, operates across 250+ cities, and collaborates with 300+ delivery partners servicing 100+ global brands. Known for its technology-driven operations, safety-first approach, and commitment to sustainability, Cabi is actively expanding its EV fleet, integrating with clean mobility platforms, and ensuring enhanced safety features, making it an ideal partner for GBTA’s mission of responsible and inclusive business travel. Vikash Kejriwal, COO, SKIL, commented: “We are thrilled to collaborate with GBTA as a Founding Partner. This partnership allows us to contribute to the evolving business travel ecosystem while enhancing the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of corporate ground transportation. With GBTA’s platform, we aim to bring forward industry insights, drive collaborative innovation, and co-create solutions that cater to the modern traveller’s needs.”
Emburse unveils next generation of travel and expense technology at GBTA 2024 Conference
Fully integrated, end-to-end booking, trip management, virtual card and expense management to deliver greater spend control and a new era of business travel. Emburse continues its innovative track record by unveiling its vision for the next generation of integrated, end-to-end travel and expense management solutions, with the latest in fintech, at the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Annual Conference. Emburse’s vision for a fully integrated travel suite includes Emburse Book, a modern, enterprise-grade online tool for booking flights (including NDC), rail, hotels and ground transportation. Emburse Book will be completely integrated with Emburse Expense, TRIPBAM and Emburse Go, as well as an organization’s existing TMC, delivering one-click approvals and Emburse Cards virtual cards issuance for travel booking and on-trip spend. Fully itemized travel itineraries will flow seamlessly into a user’s Emburse expense and trip management solutions, ensuring data integrity, compliance and streamlining both the business traveller and finance team’s expense process. Today’s business travellers expect a seamless, mobile-centric experience throughout their journey – from pre-approved virtual cards that keep spend within policy, to flight and hotel bookings that automatically sync with the expense solution and in the individual’s travel companion app. In addition, if a hotel room or airline ticket drops in price, it can be automatically rebooked, with the new cost reflected in expenses, and cost savings flowing back to the organization. This highly automated, effortless travel experience means business travellers have more time to do what they love, rather than spending countless hours on expenses. “For far too long, mid-market, enterprise and even multinational corporations have dealt with a limited choice of end-to-end T&E technology vendors, which has stifled innovation, increased out-of-policy spend and downgraded the business traveller experience. That unhappy status quo ends today with those on Emburse products and solutions,” said Marne Martin, CEO at Emburse. “We’ve heard loud and clear that this size of organization needs to future-proof their entire T&E technology suite. We are excited to respond to that need with Emburse Book and our next-generation expense and travel management solutions. Emburse is recognized as the innovation leader in corporate expense and post-booking travel management solutions. Delivering this same level of innovation throughout the entire business travel lifecycle will help organizations to break free from the frustration of their current travel and expense management process.” Emburse Chrome River Expense, the company’s flagship expense management solution for midsize to large organizations, is also being reimagined to support the needs of mobile-first, tech-forward business travellers. The solution will feature a completely redesigned user interface, bringing automation to a new level with a range of innovative features and added content. These include increased automation and AI, missing expense suggestions for end-users, next generation optical character recognition and automated expense item creation, as well as an industry-leading business rules engine, which will automatically categorize expenses and ensure spend policy compliance. “Modern workforces expect business travel solutions that complement their highly mobile, digital lifestyle,” said Kevin Permenter, Research Director, Financial Applications at IDC. “They want smart, user-friendly and highly automated solutions that can take care of manual tasks in the background and allow them to focus on their jobs. Emburse has made several meaningful investments showing a deep commitment to building the next generation of T&E software. Their aim is clear – helping companies significantly improve business traveller satisfaction and productivity, as well as helping companies to streamline financial processes and better control costs.” Additionally, the company is bringing its TRIPBAM solutions under the Emburse brand, solidifying the integration of the two organizations since Emburse’s acquisition of TRIPBAM in July 2023. TRIPBAM’s flagship travel reshopping solution is now Emburse Reshop, and its auditing and benchmarking solutions are now Emburse Audit and Emburse Benchmark. “TRIPBAM has rapidly become a key part of Emburse on a technical, commercial and operational level. As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of it becoming part of the family and we announce our vision of a fully integrated, end-to-end travel and expense experience, it’s fitting that we bring TRIPBAM and its products fully under the Emburse umbrella,” added Marne Martin. Emburse is an industry-leading T&E management provider and through a best-in-class acquisitions strategy, has created an unparalleled user experience for business travellers and is now positioned to take that experience to the next level.
GBTA joins Net Zero Carbon Events initiative as a supporter
Representative Image The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organisation and the voice of the industry, has joined Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE), the worldwide events industry initiative to address climate change as a supporter of the campaign. Since its launch at Cop 26 in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2021, Net Zero Carbon Events has developed a wealth of resources to support events industry organisations on their journeys to net zero carbon emissions. These include a Roadmap and advisory reports on Venue Energy; Smart Production and Waste Management; Logistics; Travel and Accommodation; Food and Food Waste; Offsetting and Measurement. With the campaign now focused on implementation in each of these areas, GBTA and NZCE will be working together with the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) on implementing the Travel and Accommodation element. James Rees James Rees, President of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), which is driving the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative for the industry said: “We could not be happier than to have GBTA as a supporter. GBTA has unparallelled expertise and experience in the technical aspects of business travel and sustainability, especially through the Sustainability Initiative of the GBTA Foundation. We are delighted to be working with both GBTA and ICCA on this and looking forward to aligning our work and developing common ground for all stakeholders in future. Suzanne Neufang “It is also a tremendous testimonial to the framework that NZCE has developed that GBTA will be using this for their own events in future.” “For our members, industry and for the work we do as an association, GBTA is deeply committed and active in helping to create a more sustainable future for global business travel. We are pleased to be part of the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative and working with the JMIC and other key organisations to bring the power of our collective efforts to ensure more net zero-focused approaches to the very significant sector of meetings and events,” said Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA. Senthil Gopinath, CEO, ICCA said: “ICCA is proud to be a founding member of Net Zero Carbon Events, and we're thrilled to have the Global Business Travel Association on board with this incredibly important initiative. One of our pillars as an organisation is sustainability, and ICCA is committed to working with our partners in the industry to promote the overall goal of reducing carbon emissions. It's crucial that the meetings and events community as a whole joins forces to advance sustainable practices and policies around the globe, and as more organisations come on board, we get closer to our goal of Net Zero by the year 2050." Net Zero Carbon Events is open to all organisations involved in events. Registration is free of charge, but financial contributions are crucial to developing the campaign.
FCM Corporate Travel Summit powered by GBTA
Global Corporate Travel Management Company, FCM Travel India, will host their first FCM Corporate Travel Summit in Mumbai powered by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) with Hyatt India Hotels, Amadeus, and Singapore Airlines as sponsors. This event is exclusive and by invitation only. FCM is the flagship large corporate division of the Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG). A trusted partner for thousands of conglomerates and enterprises in 100+ countries, FCM is known for its agile and flexible technology that anticipates and solves client needs supported by a team of experts. GBTA is the voice of the global business travel industry and has exclusively partnered with FCM, bringing its presence back to India after 7 years. The world’s premier business travel and meetings trade, GBTA serves stakeholders across six continents. 8,000+ members represent and advocate for the $1,357 trillion global business travel and meetings industry. “Our mission has always been to bring the many voices of global business travel together to promote community and learning. APAC is a key market for GBTA, and we are delighted to support FCM on this event which will enable leaders in the market to reconnect, learn, and inspire one another to move the industry forward collectively.’ Catherine Logan, Regional Senior Vice President – EMEA and APAC, GBTA. “Business travel in India is expected to reach USD$49.5 billion in 2027 and the industry will witness some exciting developments. We are honoured to partner with GBTA, to bring together the many voices across the sector,” said Sunny Sodhi, Managing Director of FCM India. “Our incredible lineup of panellists and speakers will share the latest travel trends, technology, meetings and events, and sustainability. FCM India has curated thought-provoking sessions for India's business travel community, including key decision makers to come together,” added Sodhi.
GBTA Foundation reveals the state of climate action
The time is now for the global travel industry to enact meaningful changes for the climate, according to a newly released report, “The State of Climate Action in Business Travel - Global Industry Barometer 2023,” from the GBTA Foundation, the charitable arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). As reflected in the findings, “business travel is at a critical juncture” as the industry continues to adjust to new realities and envisions a more resilient future for global travel. The report was unveiled today at the 2nd GBTA Sustainability Summit held in Washington, DC, where Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA, underscored the importance of collaboration to facilitate a greener future for business travel. One of the key findings is the industry’s willingness to rise to the challenge: according to the report, 92% of respondents say sustainability is a priority for their organization (up from 89% in a 2022 GBTA report). Based on survey responses, Europe (98%) along with Asia Pacific and Latin America (both 100%) lead in saying it’s a priority, with North America (86%) slightly lagging the other regions. “Any kind of meaningful impact begins with the knowledge that change is necessary,” said Delphine Millot, Managing Director of the GBTA Foundation. “Engaging business travellers and activating the point of sale to empower them to select more sustainable options will be critical − with corporate travel managers playing a leading role in driving that needed change. But to get there,” she continued, “as an industry we must unify standards and make the investments needed to decarbonize business travel.” Here are some of the report’s key findings based on a global survey of travel buyers and suppliers: Companies are investing in sustainability teams: 71% of travel buyers and suppliers say they have a sustainability team, an increase from last year (66%). While 90% of airlines have such dedicated sustainability resources, this drops to 59% for the hospitality sector, 58% for travel management companies (TMCs), 55% for ground transportation, and 50% for online booking technologies. It’s all about reputation – but also impact: For companies, the biggest drivers when it comes to sustainability uptake are reputation management (84%) coupled with a genuine willingness to drive a positive impact for the planet (82%). Travel managers are being tasked with reducing emissions for their programs: More than half (54%) of respondents say their company has set either internal or public targets to reduce Scope 3 emissions, which include those from business travel. Another 23% are planning to set such reduction targets. Combining trips is seen as a tactic to maximize travel’s return on emissions: 74% of travel managers are encouraging (55%) or mandating (19%) their employees to combine multiple business trips into one. Travel managers are not always directly acting on the purpose of travel in their policies: 38% report they currently ask for justification for same-day business trips based on return on investment (ROI) and available alternatives. The fastest-growing practice will be activating the point of sale to encourage employees to select lower emission options: Only implemented by 28% of travel managers today, an additional 32% are planning to have sustainability features integrated into their online booking tool. Developing consistent industry-wide standards is a priority for travel buyers. Asked to pick five ways in which the industry should accelerate sustainable change (out of 10 possible), a large majority of buyers point to harmonized standards on emissions measurement, accounting, and reporting (requested by 65% of buyers). Meanwhile, 60% of buyers requested that GBTA develop harmonized sustainability questions to be used in procurement. A third of travel managers will soon be in the game for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) certificates: While only 18% of travel buyers currently invest in the purchase of SAF certificates, an additional 16% have plans to do so. Of the companies that purchase SAF certificates, 84% do so through airlines. Additionally, 38% say their companies are currently or expecting to purchase carbon credits to offset their business travel emissions. Financing the green transition continues to present the biggest challenge for both travel buyers and suppliers in decarbonizing their programs and operations, with “higher costs” ranking as the number one barrier two years in a row. Carbon pricing remains a niche: Only 10% of travel managers have established carbon budgets or carbon fees, but this is under consideration by another 23%. The survey informing the report findings was distributed to the global business travel community, including GBTA members and stakeholders. It was conducted between April 17 and May 5, 2023, resulting in 863 responses from business travel professionals across North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East. GBTA’s Sustainability Initiative aims to catalyze collective action in the global business travel industry to address and reduce climate change. Last year, 90% of the industry said that GBTA should guide the sector in its sustainability journey. This was reinforced this year by members asking for best practices, case studies, harmonized standards, and research to guide next steps.
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GBTA APAC Conference 2023 – Singapore
The GBTA APAC Conference 2023 – Singapore will bring together the business travel community to network, learn from industry experts and benefit from peer-to-peer education. Tapping into the global insights of GBTA and curated by regional thought leaders this event will focus on the key issues and opportunities facing the business travel industry today