U.S. Business Travel Industry spends $72.8 Billion in Q2

Alexandria, VA – A leading travel industry forecast found business travelers spent an estimated $72.8 billion on U.S.-originated business travel during the second quarter of 2014, a 7.1 percent year-over-year growth. This rise in spending comes despite a slight year-over-year reduction of -0.1

Likewise, during the 2014 calendar year, group business trips – travel to business meetings or conferences – are expected to dip 3.3 percent, while spending on group business travel is expected to increase by 5.9 percent. Together, these findings underscore the fact that businesses are spending more per trip, indicating a strengthening economy.

In total, U.S.-generated business travel spending is expected to increase by 6.8 percent to $292.3 billion in 2014, according to the GBTA BTI Outlook – United States 2014 Q3, released by the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), and sponsored by Visa, Inc.

“The continued strong demand in business travel spending is a positive sign for our economy – this signals that companies are continuing to put travelers on the road to achieve their business objectives,” said Michael W. McCormick, GBTA executive director and COO. “As always, business travel spending is a leading indicator of overall economic growth.”

“With both business travel volume and travel costs forecast to rise in 2015, corporate travel programs are looking for ways to manage expenses and help improve their bottom line,” said Tad Fordyce, SVP, global commercial solutions, Visa Inc. “As a leader in the corporate travel market, Visa provides best-in-class solutions to improve reporting and automation on business travel purchases.”

In addition, the study identified other key trends that could impact business travel in the coming months, including household and business sentiment, international outbound business travel and inflation concerns.

Households and businesses are feeling optimistic about the near-term future and their spending behavior will begin to reflect that sentiment. Consequently, businesses are poised to step up their investment in equipment, information technology, and structures. This activity will be accompanied by gains in business travel spending.

Accordinf to a GBTA statement , international outbound business travel, a key indicator of the global economic recovery, is expected to grow in volume by 5.6 percent in 2014, followed by another 6.5 percent in 2015. This comes after a minor 1.1 percent increase in 2013. Key factors that prevent international outbound business travel from rising at a faster pace include the struggling European recovery, a moderating Chinese economy and economic challenges in many emerging markets in Latin America.

Oct. 8, 2014