Janette Acosta Sanchez
Country Director, GBTA Canada
As business travel spending rises, Canada has an opportunity to lead with smarter, more resilient and more intentional travel programs.
Business travel has long been a critical driver of growth, investment, and innovation around the world — and in uncertain and changing times, its value is even more important. Across Canada, organizations are becoming more deliberate in how and why people travel for work. Budgets remain under pressure, risk management is more complex, and sustainability expectations are rising. Yet face-to-face meetings still deliver something technology alone cannot fully replace: trust, connection, and momentum.
That is why sustainably managed business travel is a force for driving progress for businesses, governments, economies, and people. In Canada, that story is especially important now, as the country’s business travel sector shows both a strong current position and meaningful future potential.
Canada’s Growth Story
Canada is forecast to be the world’s 12th largest market in 2026 in terms of business travel spending, according to GBTA’s latest Business Travel Index (BTI). Canadian spending is expected to reach CAD $40.1 billion this year, after estimated growth of 9.6 percent in 2025 — well ahead of the 6.6 percent global average. That momentum is expected to continue, with spending rising another 4.3 percent into 2026.
These numbers matter not only because they reflect corporate activity, but because they signal confidence: companies are still investing in travel because it supports sales, learning, customer relationships, and long-term growth. Key sectors including manufacturing, real estate, public administration, and financial services are leading that growth, reinforcing the integral role travel plays across Canada’s economy.
Face-to-face meetings still deliver something technology alone cannot fully replace: trust, connection, and momentum.
Just as important is how Canadians are travelling for business. According to BTI traveler survey data, business trips here are purposeful, typically averaging 3.2 nights, with most travel driven by attendance at conventions and conferences, along with seminars and training. Sixty percent of travellers surveyed said they extended a business trip for leisure, while 83 percent say business travel is worthwhile to achieving their business objectives.
The message is clear: business travel is becoming more intentional, and every trip must deliver measurable value. For travel managers, procurement leaders and executives, that means ensuring each trip justifies its investment while supporting business objectives and traveler needs.
Local Economic Impact for Toronto
Business travel’s impact can also be seen across Toronto. GBTA data shows that business travel to and within Toronto generated USD $4.3 billion in industry-driven revenue in 2024, while supporting 21,282 jobs. It also contributed USD $586 million in tax revenue to governments and produced USD $1.3 billion in local value-added revenue. Just as importantly, for every dollar spent on business travel in Toronto, 53 percent remains in the local economy. That means spending on meetings, hotel stays, restaurants, local services, ground transportation and more creates a positive multiplier effect that extends far beyond the individual trip. For a city like Toronto, business travel is not a niche activity — it is a meaningful economic engine.
Resilience Requires Leadership
While the outlook is positive, it is also more complex. Inflationary pressures, geopolitical uncertainty, border and visa challenges, and evolving traveler expectations are reshaping how organizations approach travel. In this environment, business travel is no longer just an operational function — it is a strategic one.
In periods of disruption, organizations rely more heavily on corporate travel professionals to guide policy, protect travelers, support business continuity and align travel with company goals. For Canada, the opportunity is not simply to grow travel volume, it is to lead with smarter policy, stronger duty of care, better data and more resilient programs. If we do that well, business travel will continue to deliver returns not only for companies, but for communities across the country.
To learn more about the Global Business Travel Association and its research, advocacy and industry resources, visit gbta.org.
