New data from Business Travel Show America reveals that as high as half of American corporate travel budgets are expected to rise in 2027. The necessary increase is driven by a faster than anticipated cost rise in the first half of 2026. This is impacting corporate travel bookers, including EAs and PAs…
New data from Business Travel Show America has revealed around half of American corporate travel budgets will rise in 2027, likely to be the consequence of a bumpy first half of the year during which fuel, hotel and travel costs have risen sharply thanks to war in the Middle East.
The survey of 204 corporate travel managers, buyers and bookers across North and South America found 44.44% expect their organization to spend more on corporate travel in 2027, 39.61% anticipate no change, and 15.94% expect a decrease.
The research also showed almost a third of buyers (30.54%) say H1 2026 costs have risen significantly more than they hoped, 48.77% of buyers’ costs rose in line with forecast, and only 16.26% said cost increases were less than anticipated.
The gap between forecast and reality is impacting how corporates are managing travel:
- 54% are changing or considering changing policy around airline class or hotel quality eligibility
- 55% have reduced trip volumes
- 77% say the impact will hit next year’s budget
- 97% have already overrun their current budget
- 57% are changing or considering changing their TMC
- 58% are changing or considering changing suppliers
- 36% report no change to their program
Despite these pressures, 68.26% of respondents are managing to balance rising costs with the demand for improved traveler experiences, compared with 22.75% who said they are not.
“Geopolitical tensions are directly and negatively impacting the cost of business travel leading to increasing pressure on buyers to make critical spending and policy decisions,” said Louis Magliaro, Executive Vice President, the BTN Group.
“Nearly a third of respondents have seen costs rise beyond forecasts, which is translating into reduced trip volumes, policy changes and overspending. At Business Travel Show America, corporate travel buyers will find the suppliers, tech, knowledge and networking they need to help them cut costs, negotiate harder and make budgets work harder.”
The findings come from Business Travel Show America’s annual buyer survey, conducted among 209 respondents located in North and South America in June 2026.
Registrations are open for the Business Travel Show America
Business Travel Show America returns to Javits Center from October 14-15, 2026, bringing together corporate travel buyers, procurement professionals and industry suppliers to address the challenges shaping the industry, including cost management, technology adoption and traveler duty of care.
Business Travel Show America is the only hosted corporate travel buyer event in North America attracting travel buyers with a T&E spend of over $50 billion. 74% of 2025 attendees did not attend GBTA. This year, the event takes place at the Javits Center, New York from 14-15 October drawing over 500 business travel managers.
PA Life is delighted to be a media partner of the annual Business Travel Show Europe which takes place in June at Excel London.
