GBTA Poll: Business Travel Confidence Rebounds to 2026 High

GBTA polled 604 business travel professionals worldwide online from August 27 to September 9, 2026. 63% are optimistic about the industry outlook for the next 12 months, up from 41% in April and above 59% in January; pessimism fell from 24% to 7%. Optimism rose among both buyers and suppliers, and Europe's net optimism swung from -17 to +44. 56% of buyers expect travel spend to increase and 45% expect more trips, with spend expectations continuing to outpace volume. Costs and geopolitical uncertainty remain the main constraints.