Decline in business travel: Analysis shows new trends and challenges!

Decline in business travel: Analysis shows new trends and challenges!

The German Travel Management Association (VDR) presented the 2025 business trip analysis on May 22, 2025. According to this analysis, around 107.1 million business trips were recorded in 2024, a decrease of 8% compared to 2023. Despite this decline, travel volume is 43% above the 2022 level. The VDR business travel analysis was presented at the VDR conference in Ingolstadt, where the importance of business travel for economic dynamism was underlined, reports airliners.de.

The analysis data also shows that 35% of business trips were abroad, with 25% of these trips taking place within Europe. While large companies kept their travel volume stable, small and medium-sized companies noticeably reduced their travel costs and activities. This is also reflected in the average spending per trip, which rose by 7% to 439 euros. Total spending on business trips reached 47.2 billion euros, an increase of 2% compared to the previous year.

Trends in travel management

Digitalization and the focus on security shape current travel management. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is growing rapidly, especially in data management and communication. 50% of large companies already use AI technologies, while only 23% of small and medium-sized companies do so. Overall, many companies plan to further expand their use of AI by 2026. so business-travel.de.

Another important aspect is travel safety. 92% of companies rate travel security as more relevant, with more than half of them even citing “significantly higher” relevance. These developments show that companies are increasingly focusing on targeted planning of their business trips and integrating sustainability strategies into their processes. Currently, 26% of companies already have a comprehensive sustainability strategy, and this proportion is expected to double by 2026.

Means of transport and travel behavior

In terms of the means of transport chosen, 29% of companies use rail for more than half of their domestic trips. 63% actively promote their use. Nevertheless, the plane remains an indispensable option, especially for longer distances or time pressure. It turns out that 76% of companies prefer airplanes if they get to their destination faster. In addition, 82% of companies are willing to accept longer travel times to avoid air travel.

In summary, the results of the VDR business trip analysis 2025 provide a comprehensive insight into the current trends and challenges in business travel management. The international, digital and conscious orientation of business travel is shaping the future of business travel in Germany.