Corporate travel optimism surges, with the Asia-Pacific region dominating global spending and accelerating worldwide travel growth through 2026
After a previous decline in sentiment in past months due to concerns of government actions in the US, corporate travel optimism in Asia-Pacific (APAC) is on the upswing.
Elle Ng-Damarwan, regional director, APAC, Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), shared that more industry professionals (43 per cent) reported in an October 2025 poll they feel more optimistic about the industry’s outlook – a significant jump from 28 per cent in June.
Spending growth, she added, is strongest in markets like South Korea, India and Australia; and companies are prioritising cost-performance value – longer stays, multi-city itineraries, and blended travel options.
APAC, according to GBTA, remains the largest global business travel region and represents approximately 40 per cent of worldwide spend.
Among the top 15 global markets for spending, five are in the Asia Pacific region. They are China, Japan, South Korea, India and Australia. China is the world’s second largest market after the US, with a projected spend of US$373.1 billion in 2025, while India is projected to see the highest growth in spend in 2025 at US$43 billion, an increase of 15 per cent versus 2024.
Ng-Damarwan noted that technology continues to be a driver of industry evolution; sustainability is a key consideration in business travel; and rising costs are the greatest concern for travel managers, even as pricing begins to stabilise.
Also supporting the positive outlook, Myka D’Souza, BCD Travel, director, sales APAC, said: “Arrivals from around the world (including travel within Asia) are expected to grow by eight per cent in 2025, accelerating to 13 per cent in 2026.
“Almost 80 per cent of travel originates from countries elsewhere in Asia, so Asian markets are driving the growth. Departures to destinations globally should grow by nine per cent in 2025, speeding up to 13 per cent in 2026.”
D’Souza added that Asia retains its dominance as a travel destination (78 per cent of global numbers), though growth is projected to strengthen across all other markets.
South America is forecast for the strongest expansion, accelerating to 21 per cent growth in 2026, and while North America will swing from a two per cent decline to seven per cent growth in 2026, it will remain the slowest-growing destination for Asian travellers.
Conversely, Europe is set to see its growth strengthen from 14 per cent to 17 per cent, maintaining its position as the most popular non-Asian destination.
Manpreet Bindra, FCM Travel regional Leader – Meetings & Events, Asia, also forecasts a strong 2026, although costs will stay high.
“Air fares and hotel rates are likely to rise slightly compared to 2025, and more companies are a,sk adopting technology and data-driven insights to plan trips and measure results.”
BCD Travel’s latest Travel Market Report, released in November 2025, also projects 1.1 per cent global ticket price increases, while average daily room rates are expected to increase significantly by 4.9 per cent, fuelled by labour costs and leisure demand.
D’Souza further opined that the value of airline contracts will reduce, plus there will be closer monitoring of fuel surcharge variance.
She continued: “Cost avoidance will come into bigger focus, there will be growing risk for programme leakage, while NDC will shift from dynamic pricing to augmented services.”
