Corporate Travel Costs Set to Rise Over 8% by 2026

Global corporate travel spending is projected to grow 8.1% in 2026 versus the previous year, pushing total expenses from US$1.57 trillion in 2025 to over US$2 trillion by 2029, according to the Global Business Travel Association’s Business Travel Index. The same April 2026 survey shows market confidence slipping, with optimistic professionals falling from 59% in January to 41% by the end of the first quarter, as higher airfare, hotel and ground‑transport costs and geopolitical instability weigh on budgets.

Companies are responding by tightening travel‑budget controls and seeking greater expense visibility. Live Viagens director Thiago Marteletto warns that many firms treat travel merely as an operational cost, lacking centralized reservations and performance indicators, which hampers waste identification, supplier negotiation and overall efficiency. He also highlights “invisible” expenses—last‑minute changes, internal relocations, reimbursements, extra per‑diems, cancellations and unproductive planning time—that often escape traditional reporting, further inflating true travel costs.