Optimism within the international enterprise journey sector has dropped by greater than half this yr, in line with a report printed by the World Enterprise Journey Affiliation.
Constructive sentiment fell from 67% in November 2024 to 31% in April 2025, in line with the report which surveyed greater than 900 enterprise journey professionals on the have an effect on of tariffs, tightened border insurance policies and different U.S. authorities insurance policies introduced this yr.
Multiple in 4 respondents in Canada, america and Europe mentioned they felt “pessimistic” or “very pessimistic” about business outlook this yr.
Nevertheless, 40% of these surveyed mentioned they felt neither constructive nor destructive.
“Since I’ve been in my function for 4 years, I have never seen this excessive of a stage of uncertainty,” Suzanne Neufang, the affiliation’s CEO, informed CNBC Travel Tuesday.
The survey confirmed practically 30% of enterprise journey patrons anticipate their firms will scale back worker journeys this yr, whereas some 20% mentioned they weren’t certain, it confirmed.
“They don’t seem to be even assured sufficient to have the ability to say issues might be positive or issues will not be positive,” she mentioned.
Some 27% of respondents additionally mentioned they anticipate enterprise journey spending to lower as properly.
Lengthy-term considerations
A 3rd of enterprise journey patrons mentioned their firms have both modified, or are contemplating altering, insurance policies relating to journey to or from america, the report confirmed.
Some 6% mentioned their firms had relocated occasions from the U.S. to a different nation.
“From an APAC perspective, and positively from a European perspective, perhaps even LATAM, there’s the chance to be the supply of the place these conferences happen,” Neufang mentioned. “There are a lot of different alternatives to be a winner on this commerce recreation.”
Enterprise journey professionals expressed a number of considerations in regards to the potential for the long-term impression attributable to choices of the Trump Administration this yr, led by worries over enterprise journey prices (54%) and issues processing visas (46%).
World airfares, nonetheless, are barely down — about $17, or 2.2% year-to-date — in line with the journey information firm FCM Consulting.
Not all ‘doom and gloom’
However, the worldwide enterprise journey market continues to be on monitor to high $1.6 trillion by the top of 2025, Neufang mentioned.
Nevertheless, she mentioned that is solely “if the final 100 days do not impression negatively all over the place.”
By 2028, the World Enterprise Journey Affiliation expects, that quantity will cross the $2 trillion mark, she mentioned. She famous that whereas enterprise journey volumes have not returned to pre-pandemic ranges, enterprise journey spending absolutely recovered in 2024, partly on account of inflation.
However she mentioned the commerce warfare initiated by the Trump Administration might spell a bout of latest enterprise journeys.
“Throughout occasions of commerce wars, enterprise journey may very well enhance for a minimum of a time period — for brand new companions to be discovered [and] new markets to be constructed,” she mentioned. “You lose a buyer, you could discover one other one. So I believe that perspective doesn’t suggest all doom and gloom for us.”
Nevertheless, if tariffs stay elevated, “There will certainly be an impression to U.S. journey … However I believe Europe, Asia, Europe to Asia, Asia to Europe. I believe wherever to Africa, all of these are most likely positive.”
Leisure journey to america has fallen in 2025. Worldwide customer spending is projected to drop 4.7% from 2024, representing some $8.5 billion for the U.S. journey business, in a yr revenues had been as soon as broadly anticipated to develop.
— CNBC’s Bella Stoddart contributed to this report.