The cost of a business trip from the UK rose by nearly 5% from 2024 to 2025, according to the 10th edition of the Global Business Travel Review by the Advantage Travel Partnership and Travelogix.
Travelogix data showed the average trip cost climbed 4.8% from £876.86 to £919.13 year-on-year, while the average trip duration fell by 4.9% from 9.13 to 8.68 days.
The report says these trends indicate that buyers and organisations “seem to be protecting the value of travel rather than the volume, by tightening itineraries and focusing on trips that truly matter”.
It goes on to say that travel as a whole is being to asked to deliver results or outcomes more quickly, within narrower timeframes and at a higher cost, highlighting a relationship that affects not only spending but also traveller experience and wellbeing.
Advantage and Travelogix say the key data findings of the review also reveal the following trends:
Cost inflation is not being offset by earlier booking
“Despite sustained cost increases, booking behaviour hasn’t shifted, meaningfully, toward earlier planning,” said Adam Richardson, Head of Brand & Communications for Travelogix.
“Advance purchase windows remain fairly stable, hinting that earlier booking is not being used as an effective tool to mitigate rising prices. In many cases, this could very well reflect the nature of business travel demand itself, driven by client requirements, operational demands, and external dependencies that limit the ability to plan further ahead.
“As a result, programmes are often required to swallow higher costs rather than avoid them, reinforcing the limits of policy-driven cost control in a demand-led environment.”
Reducing traveller confidence is redefining a behavioural shift
“Based on metrics for refunds and changes and online versus offline, the data suggest that traveller behaviour may be shaped by a perceived lack of confidence in the predictability of the travel experience,” continued Richardson.
“The elevated change and refund activity, along with lower online booking penetration, could indicate an anticipated disruption rather than an exception.
“Travellers and programmes are potentially adjusting accordingly, favouring flexibility over cost, assisted bookings over self-service, and more controlled itineraries over convenience. This shift is less about preference and more about risk management, indicating that confidence in travel reliability has become a key driver of behaviour.”
Hotel attachment continues to weaken, creating a visibility and control gap
“A continued decline in hotel attachment highlights a persistent gap between policy intent/management and traveller behaviour,” explains Richardson.
“Whilst air travel is typically booked through managed channels, decisions regarding accommodation remain more fragmented, particularly on shorter or less complex trips, where travellers may prioritise loyalty or flexibility. This reduces programme visibility over total trip cost and weakens duty-of-care coverage, while also limiting the ability to drive value through preferred supplier agreements.
“Essentially, the hotel category remains one of the least controlled components of the managed travel journey, despite being a significant contributor to overall spend.”
The findings were based on approximately 1.59 million booking records, representing a total trading value of £1.28 billion.
Data was sourced from bookings made between January 1 2024 and December 31 2025.
