Deep in the Heart of Texas a Forecast Emerges for Corporate Travel

Last week I was deep in the heart of (Dallas) Texas and had the incredible honor to take the stage in front of a packed house at GBTA Convention 2023. This year’s conference was incredible! You might even say it was ten-gallon hat BIG! The event drew a massive crowd of over 5200 attendees representing 58 different countries, all eager to unravel the mysteries of where business travel is headed.

Each year I am privileged to collaborate with the wonderful teams at GBTA | Global Business Travel Association and CWT, working together to peer into the future and predict the trajectory of corporate travel pricing over the next 18 months. These recent years have been marked by significant price fluctuations – for instance, corporate airfare took a wild 72% leap just last year. While we don’t foresee quite the same level of volatility ahead, numerous factors are still gently nudging prices in an upward direction. If you’re curious, I invite you to delve into the comprehensive forecast, complete with our projections for air travel, hotel stays, and ground transportation. And if you’re up for it, there’s an array of news coverage waiting for you to explore from sources like Skift, PYMNTS, and the Business Times.

Joining me on stage this year was Richard Johnson, who leads CWT’s global solution group. Rich and his brilliant team possess an uncanny ability to deliver tailor-made value to clients by masterfully navigating the intricate landscape of business travel. Collaborating with these consummate professionals is a true privilege and a joy. My heartfelt gratitude extends to Emma Woodhouse, Amanda Cumine, Siddharth Singh, and the entire team at CWT who steadfastly guide this project year after year.

I want to extend my warmest congratulations to Suzanne Neufang and the entire GBTA team for orchestrating an undeniably successful Convention. A special note of thanks goes out to Chris Ely, Peggy Miller Dolphin, and Debbie Iannaci for their invaluable contributions.

Thanks to all of the sponsors that helped make GBTA Convention 2023 so successful. Choice Hotels International, SkyTeam, United for Business, Amadeus, American Express Global Business Travel, BCD Travel, BWH Hotels, CWT, Travelport, Turkish Airlines, American Express Global Commerical Services, Marriott Bonvoy, Shell International, and Southwest Airlines.