New York, NY (15 September 2025) – Flight Centre Travel Group today announced the release of its annual ‘State of the Market,’ a global survey capturing the latest insights and trends shaping business travel behaviours and preferences.

Conducted by the corporate division of Flight Centre Travel Group, the comprehensive survey analysed more than 1,200 responses from clients of its flagship brands – FCM Travel and Corporate Traveller – offering a robust, global snapshot of travel intentions for fiscal year 2026 (July 2025 to June 2026).

One of the key findings from the survey is an expected increase in business travel spend. Globally, 45% of businesses plan to increase their travel budgets in FY26 – a 3% rise compared to FY25. Of that group, 9% intend to increase spending by more than 20%, while 36% expect increases of up to 20%. Meanwhile, 37% expect spending to remain steady, and just 8% anticipate a reduction – an encouraging signal for the business travel sector moving forward.

In the Americas, travel spending intentions closely mirror the global outlook. 47% of respondents plan to increase spending in FY26 – up 10% from last year – while only 10% expect a decline.

“With macroeconomic challenges beginning to ease globally, the survey shows that customers have a more optimistic outlook for the year ahead,” said Charlene Leiss, President of Flight Centre Travel Group Americas. “Corporate travel is increasingly seen as a non-discretionary spend—a critical component of business success. These figures reflect growing confidence and a renewed commitment to travel as a driver of growth and innovation.”

The survey also revealed that meetings, events, and conferences are becoming a larger focus for business travel budgets. Globally, 33% of companies plan to allocate over half of their travel spend to this sector – up from 28% last year. In the Americas, that figure rises to 36%, reflecting a continued emphasis on in-person connection and collaboration.

Leiss added, “It’s encouraging to see businesses continuing to invest in travel as a way to deepen relationships, increase collaboration, and create opportunities. The industry’s resilience is clearly reflected in these upward trends.”

The overall breakdown of expected travel spending by customers surveyed globally is below, along with the results for just those customers based in the Americas.

*The State of the Market survey was conducted online between 1 June 2025 to 31 July 2025. The target respondents were FCM Travel and Corporate Traveller customers, specifically decision-makers, travel managers, and authorised travel bookers. All FCM Travel and Corporate Traveller regions were included. A random sample of 1,234 responses was obtained.

About FCM Travel

FCM is one of the world’s largest travel management companies and a trusted partner for thousands of national and multi-national organisations, including many household brands, Fortune, and FTSE 100 companies. With a 24/7 reach in 95 countries, FCM’s agile and flexible technology anticipates and solves client needs supported by expert teams who provide in-depth local knowledge and duty of care as part of the ultimate personalised business travel experience.  

As the flagship corporate travel arm of Flight Centre Travel Group, FCM is able to deliver some of the most competitive rates, unique added-value benefits, and exclusive solutions for its clients to support their business travel requirements. 

Alongside its travel management services, the company provides specialist services through FCM Consulting and FCM Meetings & Events to service broader needs of clients. Discover the alternative at www.fcmtravel.com .