Business travel to soar with 45% of corporates forecast to spend more in FY26

EMEA will see an uptick of 7%

Flight Centre Travel Group’s (FCTG) corporate landmark global State of the Market survey has revealed that 45% of customers intend to increase their travel spend versus last year – a full three percent uplift when compared to FY25 intentions.

Overall, for flagship businesses FCM Travel and Corporate Traveller, nine per cent of customers surveyed intend to spend over 20% more on their travel, 36% plan to increase by up to 20% more, and 37 per cent believe the amount spent will be similar to last year. In comparison, only eight per cent anticipate reducing.

In the EMEA specifically, customers intending to spend more on travel lifted from 39% in FY25 to 46% in FY26. 

Perhaps more significantly, the intention to reduce travel spend this year versus last year dropped from 21% to just seven percent.

It follows the release of end-of-financial-year results to the Australian Securities Exchange. 

The results showed that FCTG achieved a record total transaction value (TTV) of AUD$24.5 billion, up three per cent year-on-year (YOY) in a challenging global trading cycle, and an AUD$289.1 million UPBT, at the midpoint of the recently revised range.

The corporate business again delivered a record TTV of AUD$12.3 billion, up two percent YOY, with FCM Travel securing a large pipeline of new accounts, expanding addressable markets, and set to benefit from industry consolidation. 

Corporate Traveller is also set to become a AUD$5 billion-per-year TTV business and outperform in the large US market.

Chris Galanty, CEO of FCTG Global Corporate, stated that the survey findings indicated customers had a brighter outlook for the new financial year, with some macroeconomic challenges now easing globally.

“There’s no question corporate travel is deemed to be a non-discretionary spend for businesses as a critical facet to surviving and thriving worldwide – this is now evidenced by a significant percentage of our customers planning to increase their travel spend in FY26,” said Galanty.

“These figures paint a positive picture for the world of business travel in the new financial year.

“Significant technology advancements in AI through our Centre of Excellence, combined with an uplift in the utilisation of FCM Platform and Melon, have enabled us to automate the ordinary, allowing us to provide our customers with the extraordinary.

“Companies, whether they be large multi-nationals, SMEs or start-up businesses, are vital to economies across the globe, and it’s with great pride that we get to deliver our unique blend of the expertise of our people and our innovative technology to service them in their aspirations.”

Steve Norris, FCTG managing director EMEA, said there were several highlights and milestones across the corporate businesses for FY25.

“The FCM UK business experienced another solid year of growth (15% year-on-year), and we’re excited by the implementation pipeline that’s on its way. 

"Our specialist divisions of FCM Meetings & Events and Stage, Screen and Sports also enjoyed European growth,” Norris said.

“Positive macro-economic milestones are on the horizon, like the ratification of the UK-USA trade deal, meaning that businesses will need to ramp up their travel to ensure they are ‘first’ in what is ultimately a contact sport to secure new contracts and deals.

“Our productive operations projects across Europe are almost complete – this has freed up our people to do what they do best – servicing our customers to the highest possible standard.

“Productivity has jumped in many areas, and our focus on living by our ingrained Family, Village, Tribe structure means our subject matter experts are more empowered to make much quicker decisions – allowing them to shine alongside our FCM Platform and Melon technologies.”