A new study from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), The U.S. Business Travel Industry: Business Travel's Impact on Jobs and the U.S. Economy in 2024, found that U.S. business travel generated $538.5 billion in spending during 2024, producing $623.8 billion in total economic impact and supporting 6.7 million jobs nationwide. Of particular interest to our industry: Meetings, conventions, and events accounted for $217.8 billion in spending—more than 40% of all business travel expenditures during the year.
The 2024 data was the latest available. Overall, the report underscores the continued strength of corporate travel demand and the significant role it plays in supporting transportation providers serving business travelers, meeting attendees, and event participants.
Key findings include:
- Nearly 488 million business trips were taken in the U.S. during 2024.
- Business travel spending reached a record $538.5 billion, including:
- $270 billion from domestic business travel
- $50.7 billion from international inbound travel
- $217.8 billion tied to meetings, conventions, and events
- Meetings and events accounted for 40.4% of all business travel spending, highlighting the importance of convention, group, and event-related transportation services.
- Fifty-nine percent of business trips were individual business trips, such as sales calls and client meetings, while 41% were group-related travel, including conventions, seminars, and training events.
- The most common business trip length was three to four nights, creating ongoing demand for airport transfers, executive transportation, and meeting-related mobility services.
- Business travel spending supports a broad range of industries, including transportation, hospitality, food service, and local suppliers.
- According to the study, every additional 1% increase in business travel spending would generate:
- 66,800 additional jobs
- $6.2 billion in GDP
- $3.7 billion in wages
- $1.4 billion in tax revenue
The full report includes state-by-state breakdowns, traveler demographics, spending trends, and a comprehensive analysis of business travel's contribution to the U.S. economy. It is available via GBTA’s Research Center at gbta.org.
[06.09.26]
