Business travel in the United States generated $623.8 billion in economic impact in 2024 as spending climbed to a record $538.5 billion, according to a new report from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).
The study found that nearly 488 million business trips were taken across the U.S. last year, supporting 6.7 million jobs and generating $148.6 billion in tax revenue. The sector now accounts for 2.1% of the entire U.S. economy.
GBTA said the figures highlight how business travel continues to support airlines, hotels, restaurants, meeting venues and local economies across all 50 states.
Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA, said the impact of business travel reaches far beyond corporate travellers and large companies.
“Business travel delivers value that reaches well beyond companies and travelers ─ it’s also about direct economic impact in communities across the country,” said Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA.
She added: “From supporting millions of jobs to funding public services, the data shows how deeply business travel is connected to U.S. economic resilience, growth and competitiveness.”
Domestic business travel represented the largest share of spending at $270 billion in 2024. International inbound business travel contributed $50.7 billion, while meetings and events generated $217.8 billion.
The report showed that conferences, conventions and corporate events now account for more than 40% of all U.S. business travel spending, underlining the continued importance of in-person meetings.
GBTA said meetings and events spending included venue hire, food and beverage services, event production and speaker programmes.
The study also highlighted the wider economic impact of business travel spending. According to the report, every $1 spent on business travel generated $1.16 in GDP across the U.S. economy.
Business travel supported 6.7 million U.S. jobs in 2024, from airline and hotel workers to suppliers and local businesses supported by traveller spending.
The sector generated $366.4 billion in wages across industries including hospitality, transportation and professional services.
GBTA also found that business travel remains a major source of public revenue. The industry generated $76.9 billion in federal taxes and $71.7 billion in state and local taxes last year.
According to the study, each business trip generated an average of $290 in tax revenue. Without business travel activity, U.S. households would need to contribute an additional $1,102 annually to maintain current tax revenues.
California recorded the highest level of business travel spending at $40.6 billion, followed by New York at $30.2 billion, Florida at $26.2 billion and Texas at $23.7 billion.
The report found that 59% of business trips were linked to activities such as client meetings, sales visits and government travel, while 41% were connected to conferences, conventions, seminars and training events.
Blended travel, where travellers combine work and leisure in the same trip, represented 31.3% of all U.S. business travel in 2024. Travellers on blended trips stayed an average of 4.2 days.
Suzanne Neufang said the business travel sector still faces challenges despite the strong growth recorded in 2024.
“While 2024 marked a strong year for business travel and its economic impact, 2025 and 2026 have presented new and complex challenges shaped by rising geopolitical tensions, cost pressures and cross-border uncertainties,” said Suzanne Neufang.
She added: “Delivering economic and industry insights is central to GBTA’s mission, and we will continue to monitor these shifts and report on how evolving dynamics are affecting the business travel industry.”
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