Europe Business Travel Spending to Reach €404B
The GBTA forecasts European-originating business travel spending will rise 7.0% in 2026, led by Germany and Western Europe.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Business Travel
European-originating business travel spending is forecast to reach €404.0 billion in 2026, a 7.0% year-over-year rise, according to the Global Business Travel Index. European-based organisations are expected to generate about 600 million business trips that year, a 0.7% increase in trip volume.
Why it matters
The forecast signals continued growth in corporate travel after recent years, with Europe accounting for 27% of global business travel spending. Client, sales and account management meetings were cited by European business travellers as the leading reason for work travel.
Western Europe is anticipated to generate €354.9 billion of the spending, while Germany leads individual markets at €79.9 billion. The five largest origin markets together account for about 62% of Europe's 2026 total, though the forecast does not explain the drivers behind this concentration.
The players
Global Business Travel Association (GBTA)
The GBTA is an international trade association for the business travel industry that publishes the Global Business Travel Index forecasts.
ABTA
ABTA is a UK-based travel trade association that partnered with the GBTA on the GBTA + VDR Europe Conference 2026.
The details
Central and Eastern Europe is expected to contribute €49.1 billion and is the fastest-growing region in the forecast. The projections were shared at the GBTA + VDR Europe Conference 2026 in partnership with ABTA, and are based on GBTA Global Business Travel Index forecasts.
Timeline
2024: London business travellers spent £11.2 billion, supporting £17.9 billion in total economic output.
2026: European business travel spending is forecast to reach €404.0 billion.
2027: European business travel spending is expected to reach €425.0 billion.
2030: European business travel spending is projected to reach €471.0 billion.
Travel Outlook
The forecast places European business travel on a steady growth path, with spending projected to climb from €404.0 billion in 2026 to €471.0 billion by 2030 according to the GBTA Global Business Travel Index. Growth in spending outpaces the 0.7% projected rise in trip volume, suggesting higher per-trip costs or longer trips in the sector.
Travel managers and frequent business travellers should expect costs to keep rising, so booking early and comparing fares may help control budgets. With 74% of surveyed travellers expecting the same or more frequent business travel in 2026, planning for higher trip volume is advisable.
The takeaway
Business travel spending in Europe is set to grow faster than trip volume, so organisations and individual travellers may need to budget for higher costs per trip. Reviewing travel policies and booking windows now can help manage that increase.
Further reading
For more on how companies plan corporate trips, see our Business Travel coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Hotel Online.
