As I look ahead, I’m optimistic about business travel’s continued evolution. Despite global economic headwinds, I believe our industry, its professionals, and travel itself will keep moving forward. What was once ‘business as usual’ will continue to shift as new trends, opportunities, and challenges reshape the landscape.

The outlook is strong – global business travel spending is expected to reach $1.63 trillion USD this year. This growth aligns with a shift toward longer, more impactful, and responsible trips. As a frequent traveller myself, I value more efficient, productive, and fulfilling experiences. My mantra for 2025 – and one I think will resonate across the industry – is to travel smarter.

The decline of the one-day business trip

One of the most significant shifts is the decline of the one-day business trip. Many colleagues and industry professionals share my view that these quick trips often fail to justify their costs, drain energy, and put pressure on work-life balance. Travellers want more.

At GBTA, we’re making our travel more productive by evaluating the necessity of each trip – and whether a business trip can be more meaningful by combining multiple objectives to enhance its value. This keeps us focused on what truly matters to our mission, members, stakeholders, and teams to ensure that when travel happens, it’s both purposeful and outcomes centred.

The data supports this shift. According to GBTA’s Business Travel Index Global Outlook, only 5% of travellers prefer one-day trips. Instead, 40% favour three-to-five-day trips, which allow for greater wellness, productivity, and sustainability. These priorities will only become more central as the industry adapts to traveller needs.

Blended travel and multi-purpose trips

So how will the industry embrace these priorities? For me, the answer will continue to be more ‘linked’ business trips, where multiple meetings or destinations are combined into a single trip. GBTA research shows that 53% of global travel buyers report their employees are taking more linked trips than a year ago, signalling a shift toward efficiency and impact. Like many of my colleagues, I’m increasingly incorporating multiple objectives into each trip – why travel for one meeting when you can maximise opportunities?

Blended travel, where work trips include leisure elements, is also gaining momentum, particularly among female travellers (I’m one of them!). GBTA research found that over half of female business travellers say they extend their trips for leisure. While the data showed they may travel less frequently than men, the nature of their trips reflects this evolving trend.

And a growing number of companies are embracing this flexibility. Nearly half (46%) of travel buyers in a GBTA poll said their employees take more ‘bleisure’ trips than a year ago. One-day trips don’t allow for this kind of balance. When we travelled to Copenhagen in November for our Sustainability Summit and Europe Conference, many team members and attendees extended their stays to explore the city, boosting morale and fostering deeper connections.

A more purposeful future

I’m excited for 2025 to be the year of smarter, more responsible business travel. By embracing multi-purpose trips that maximise value and wellbeing, we can make business travel even more meaningful – for companies, travellers and the industry as a whole.