Sustainability remains a complex but critical focus for travel professionals, according to the latest research by the GBTA.
But its Business Travel Industry Outlook poll of almost 900 business travel professionals identified a number of key barriers to more sustainable corporate travel.
It found that for 2024 46% of travel professionals say sustainability was a high priority, with 44% already integrating sustainability initiatives into their programmes.
When asked about the main obstacles, 75% cited higher costs along with concerns about complexity (not knowing where to begin), ambiguous emissions measurement standards and traveller inconvenience.
Travel buyers also saw gains in employees making more sustainable travel choices, with one-third reporting a year-over-year increase in rail/train travel (38%) and multimodal trips (33%).
Professionals based in Europe (61%) and APAC (64%) are more likely to say sustainability is a high priority than respondents based in North America (34%).
At the same time, 60% of buyers in Europe, versus 36% in North America, have already integrated sustainability into their travel programmes, reflecting regional differences in commitment (and available options) to environmental strategies.
