The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) has released its April 2026 industry sentiment poll, which indicates a decline in optimism and an increase in operational complexity compared to the start of the year.
Findings from over 500 travel managers and suppliers show that global optimism in the industry for 2026 has fallen to 41%, down from 59% in January. Pessimism has risen from 9% to 24% in the same period.
Europe is currently the only region where pessimism, at 38%, outweighs optimism at 21%. Geopolitical instability and conflict are cited as the leading travel-related risks globally by 79% of respondents, a figure that rises to 92% among those based in Europe.
The poll indicates that 76% of buyers feel geopolitical conflicts are affecting meetings and travel decisions, resulting in route changes for 50% of respondents, the suspension of travel within affected regions for 50%, and the re-evaluation of duty of care policies for 36%.
Concerns regarding the affordability of business travel have increased to 82% from 70% in January. While 43% of buyers expect travel spending to increase, 28% now anticipate a decline in trip volume for 2026, up from 16% at the start of the year.
Additionally, 56% of buyers report changing their meetings or events strategy in the past three months, including shifting to virtual formats for 26% of respondents and cancelling events or reducing attendance for 24%.
Technology adoption continues as 41% of buyers report proactively implementing AI use cases, while a further 28% are leveraging AI embedded in existing travel tools.
The primary barrier to AI adoption remains concerns over data, privacy and security, which were reasons cited by 47% of those surveyed.
