Corporate travel buyers in Europe expect stable travel volumes in 2025 but are less optimistic about growth than those in other regions, according to the latest Global Business Travel Association survey.

Conducted in January, the survey of 408 travel managers and 368 suppliers and intermediaries highlighted business travel growth in 2024 and projected additional spend and volume increases going into 2025.

Globally, 48 per cent of travel buyer respondents expected their organisations to travel more in 2025 than they did in 2024. And 57 per cent expected to spend more on business travel in 2025, even if they don’t expect an increase in the number of trips.

However, there are regional differences, with buyers in Europe the most hesitant about growth this year. More than one-third (37 per cent) of Europe-based buyers expect their company will take more business trips this year – a figure that is considerably lower than every other region (see graph below).

Additionally, 19 per cent of European buyers expect to see a year-on-year decline in their company’s travel volumes in 2025. This is likely linked to a heightened awareness of climate concerns in Europe, coupled with the EU’s recently introduced sustainability reporting and due diligence directives, which are prompting companies to take action.

Revenue generating sales travel will lead in terms of trip purpose in 2025. That’s closely followed, however, by travel associated with internal meetings, which survey respondents on average said would account for 21 per cent of travel volume this year. External conferences and exhibitions followed at 14 per cent, while training and supplier meetings fell lower down companies’ priorities for travel.

Pricing and budget concerns top the list of issues faced by travel buyers and managers in 2025. Eighty-one per cent of travel buyers listed the rising cost of travel as a significant issue for this year, and half of respondents expected their budgets may not handle the pricing pressure. That tracks with a recent ITM survey of UK-based travel buyers that revealed budget control as the number one priority for corporates this year. 

Bigger picture economic concerns and geopolitical friction are on the minds of 49 per cent and 44 per cent of buyers, respectively. That topped the number of buyers who had heightened concerns about travel disruptions, which is notable. Just 37 per cent of travel buyers listed that as a critical issue going into 2025. Only a third listed tech advancements and artificial intelligence as top-of-mind in their programmes.

Buyer concerns in that sense were quite different from suppliers and travel management company reps who participated in the survey. Just over half of suppliers and TMC reps listed travel costs as a top concern.

Suppliers are more concerned about the overall economic picture, with 55 per cent noting uncertainty. Forty-seven per cent had their minds on AI, showing suppliers much more engaged with tech changes than buyers this year.

That may be due to the idea that many buyers rely on their TMCs to outfit them with the proper technology to run a travel programme. With that in mind, 30 per cent of travel managers surveyed said they were going out to bid for a new TMC this year – and many of them reported the initiative was precipitated by deficient tech or lack of access to New Distribution Capability content or support. Seventeen per cent of respondents said they were already implementing a new TMC partner. That makes 47 per cent either implementing or evaluating a new TMC – marking a significant shift.

Forty-one per cent said they would be evaluating and possibly changing payment solutions, with much of this concentrated in Europe (52 per cent) and Asia-Pacific (56 per cent). Thirty-one per cent said they would be evaluating new booking tools, while 20 per cent said they would be evaluating or changing their expense tool. Buyers in Europe led the pack on both accounts, with 38 per cent set to re-evaluate their OBT and 22 per cent looking to change their expense tool.

Asia-Pacific-based buyers, meanwhile, are leading when it comes to willingness to integrate AI or other significant technology into travel management practices. Asia-Pac also led the way in plans to implement sustainability practices in 2025 (64 per cent of buyers), followed closely by Europe (50 per cent). North America was last on sustainability plans.