Weathering Uncertainty, Higher Costs Is Yet Another Lesson in Managing Business Travel in 2026

For organizations across the globe, 2026 so far has brought new concerns about rising costs, ever-present geopolitical tensions and ongoing operational friction─and along with it, a continued evaluation of why and how we travel for work.

Nearly eight in 10 industry stakeholders cite global instability and conflict as their top travel-related risk now, according to GBTA’s latest industry poll of more than 500 corporate travel managers, suppliers and intermediaries worldwide. But what is clear is that organizations still want to meet, collaborate and innovate. The result, as yet, of those concerns has not been a broad pullback on business travel but rather a deliberate, carefully managed approach. 

Managed travel is the difference between a risk- and cost-controlled travel program and a less structured approach that can leave both people and budgets vulnerable in an increasingly volatile environment. The business travel professionals who shape and manage these travel programs are more important than ever to keeping travelers safe, navigating risk and disruption, and influencing budgets so organizations and people can continue to connect in person.

External Pressures, Yet Signs of Resilience in Managed Business Travel

External risks are increasingly influencing business travel decisions and driving a deliberate approach. A great majority of buyers (84 percent) and travel management company and supplier poll respondents (79 percent) cited geopolitical instability and conflict as a top travel-related risk, making it the industry’s leading concern globally over the next year. While that number is slightly less pronounced among U.S. respondents (68 percent), it’s still a leading concern for Americans, too.

Compared to January of this year, more organizations now anticipate a decline in overall travel volume. Twenty-eight percent of travel buyers now expect their trip volume to decrease in 2026 compared to 2025. That’s considerably more than the 16 percent who said the same in January. Twenty-two percent expect a decrease in spend. While spend and volume show a variance, the difference can be explained as the effects of price inflation and fuel price increases. The implication is that organizations may be taking fewer trips, but investing more in each one. 

Despite broad industry concerns, business travel activity is expected to grow or remain stable through 2026. Forty-three percent of buyers now expect travel spending to increase and 33 percent expect it to remain stable in 2026, representing over three-fourths of corporate programs. 

More Selective Meeting and Events Travel

Deliberate business travel is reshaping meetings and events planning, too. More than half of buyers (56 percent) said their organization changed its meetings or events strategy over the first three months of this year. This includes shifting some meetings or events to virtual formats (26 percent), canceling meetings or events (24 percent), reducing employee event attendance (24 percent) and relocating meetings to different markets (22 percent).

Rather than retreating from in-person interaction, however, organizations are refining how, where and when they bring people together, aligning travel decisions closely with business priorities and risk considerations.

The Travel Manager’s Increasing Importance in Strategy and Innovation 

When emergencies arise, focus changes. Thus, with added travel program and traveler risks arising since March, the role of travel managers is growing more essential. Seven in 10 buyers (70 percent) said the travel management function becomes more important during periods of disruption, with responsibilities more aligned to leadership, risk management and enterprise decision-making. The vast majority report increased involvement in traveler safety, policy changes, crisis response and meetings decision-making.

To help them meet new organizational requirements, buyers are leveraging artificial intelligence to operate more strategically. Two in five buyers (41 percent) report that their organization is proactively implementing AI use cases within their travel programs, while another 28 percent are leveraging AI embedded in existing travel tools.

Those figures will increase moving forward, as buyers view AI as a critical enabler and are prioritizing building AI and automation skills (37 percent) to drive better reporting, pricing insight, spend forecasting and more informed decision-making. However, data/privacy/security concerns are a hurdle for many (47 percent), and stand out as the biggest barrier to faster development and adoption.

While many challenges of 2026 seem new or multiplied from years past, the commitment to travel for its ability to drive business forward remains steady. This is a pivotal moment for the industry, as times of uncertainty require a deliberate approach, something we see reflected in our poll. 

For our industry to survive and ultimately thrive during times of uncertainty, those who manage and supply travel for work need to get and keep their seat at the strategic table. 

After all, didn’t we learn keen lessons about “essential travel” just six years ago?

Thus, it’s critical that our approach to getting through these moments of uncertainty include a willingness to collaborate, an ever-learning and -experimenting attitude, and strategic problem-solving on both the buy and supply side of our industry.