- More than three quarters reported impacts from conflicts.
- Nearly three in ten forecast volume declines in 2026.
- Nearly 40 pc reduced likelihood for US meetings.
- Jet fuel prices affected airline operations.
- Sales meetings stayed difficult to virtualise.
Geopolitical conflicts have influenced global business travel decisions in recent months. The Global Business Travel Association survey revealed that more than three quarters of respondents noted moderate or significant impacts on their organisations. Nearly three in ten expect business travel volumes to decline in 2026.
Airline routes faced disruptions and jet fuel prices rose due to Middle East events. Nearly 40 pc of participants stated they are less likely to host multinational meetings in the US. In-person activities such as sales meetings and conferences remain hardest to replace with virtual formats.
Global Business Travel Association shared: “industry pessimism now outweighs optimism as broader geopolitical conflicts are increasingly shaping travel routes, safety considerations, and meetings decisions worldwide. Geopolitical conflicts are having a moderate or significant impact on their organisation’s business travel and meetings decisions”.
