As United States government actions continue to reshape the global landscape, the business travel industry continues to navigate growing uncertainty and shifting strategies for the remainder of 2025.
Optimism across the business travel sector continues to decline, with more companies who send employees out for work trips expecting reduced travel volume and spending—especially for international trips.
Additionally, nearly half of global travel suppliers now anticipate revenue losses (up from 37 per cent three months ago), while more organisations are cancelling or relocating meetings from the United States and/or shifting to virtual formats.
US policy developments—such as trade tariffs, entry restrictions and cross-border advisories—are driving companies to reassess travel plans, tighten budgets and explore markets outside the US.
These latest insights are from a new poll released today from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) tracking the sentiment and impact of US government actions on business travel.
These latest findings reveal some ongoing as well as new and notable shifts since an initial April 2025 poll.
“This latest poll shows the business travel industry and corporate travel programs and professionals actively adapting to shifting geopolitics and evolving US policies.
“While overall demand currently remains resilient, the results underscore how economic uncertainty and US government actions continue to send ripple effects across the global travel landscape,” said Suzanne Neufang, Chief Executive, GBTA.
The July poll surveyed 950 corporate travel managers, suppliers, travel management companies (TMCs) and other intermediaries across four regions and 45 countries. It finds:
- One-third of buyers (34 per cent in June, slightly up versus 29 per cent in April) continue to expect the number of business trip taken at their company will decline in 2025, as a result of US government actions.
- Business travel spending outlook stayed relatively consistent compared with three months ago – with one-third of buyers (31 per cent, versus 27 per cent in April) expecting declines in their company’s business travel expenditures (17 per cent on average in June, down from 20 per cent in April).
- Showing a divergence in spending and revenue outlooks, almost half (48 per cent) of suppliers expect a drop in business travel revenue, with an average decline of 17 per cent (versus 18 per cent in April). This is up sharply from 37 per cent in April, with lodging suppliers the most concerned as over half (58 per cent) are anticipating revenue decreases.
