Business travel in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) is recovering more quickly than in any other region, says GBTA. The forecast states that business travel expenditures reached USD 933 billion globally in 2022, which is 65 pc of the USD 1.4 trillion in pre-pandemic business travel expenditures.

According to the most recent Business Travel Index Outlook annual forecast and outlook (2022) from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), business travel in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) is recovering more quickly than in any other region. 

The report says that MEA business travel outperformed the recovery in the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe in 2022, reaching 86 pc of its 2019 levels. The forecast states that business travel expenditures reached $933 billion globally in 2022, which is 65 pc of the USD 1.4 trillion in pre-pandemic business travel expenditures. The MEA area will contribute USD 23 billion, or roughly 2.5 pc of the sector’s total expenditures. The sector will be one of the key focus areas of the upcoming Arabian Travel Market that will be held in Dubai from May 1-4.

“The business travel sector is a key component of the Middle East’s wider travel and tourism industry, and it is encouraging to see that it has bounced back so strongly since the pandemic. The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) will present an in-depth analysis of how technology can support this return to travel and the ways in which this can be done sustainably in two education sessions with key insights from leading industry professionals,” says Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market.

“The MEA region is an important growth market for business travel and benefitted from a prompt Covid-19 vaccination roll-out in key m

arkets such as the UAE and Israel, as well as increased economic activity driven by the rising price of crude oil to accelerate the business travel recovery. The region is expected to return to pre-pandemic business travel spend by 2024 and continue its growth trajectory,” says Catherine Logan, Regional Vice President EMEA & APAC, GBTA.

According to a press statement, during the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023, which runs from May 1–4, at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the sector’s outstanding performance and potential growth opportunities will be highlighted. During ATM 2023, GBTA will organise two sessions. The first, All Praise the Innovators, will discuss how transformative technology can be efficiently harnessed and implemented into business travel programmes.

In the brand-new Sustainability Hub, the second session, Implementing Sustainability in Your Travel Programme, will be led by Catherine Logan, Regional Vice President – EMEA & APAC for GBTA. Logan will offer advice on how to make business travel policies more sustainable.

With travel being almost restriction-free now, employees have revealed an increased likelihood to travel more for work, according to the latest business travel outlook poll from GBTA.

The statement adds that as part of its Working Towards Net Zero theme, ATM 2023 will examine the future of sustainable travel. The conference agenda will examine how latest sustainable travel preferences are likely to evolve, enabling attendees to identify growth strategies within important vertical industries and offering regional experts a stage to discuss a sustainable future in advance of COP28, which will be held in November 2023 at Expo City Dubai. A sustainability category will also debut at the conference’s annual exhibitor awards.