In a new study released this month, the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), reports that the business travel industry was responsible for a major boost to the U.S. economy in 2022 – the latest full year the data is available. The study, “GBTA U.S. Economic Impact Study: Business Travel’s Impact on Jobs and the U.S. Economy,” quantifies the significant economic impact work travel in the country.

Key highlights from the study include:

  • The U.S. spent the most on business travel in 2022, totaling $421.1 billion USD and resulting in $119 billion in tax receipts.
  • For every 1% of growth in business travel, the U.S. economy sees nearly 60,000 jobs, $2.9 billion in paid wages, $1.2 billion in tax revenue and $4.8 billion in new GDP.
  • Business travel also supported 6 million jobs and represented 3.5% of total employment.
  • Of the direct jobs supported by business travel, 38% were in food services, 19% in accommodations and 11% in transportation and warehousing.

The GBTA’s latest industry forecast also project the U.S. to be a top one or two market worldwide for spending again in 2024.

Additionally, the study provides data on U.S. business travel in 2022 overall, including:

  • 9 million total business trips were taken within the U.S.
  • An estimated 67% of trips were taken for transient purposes: sales, client service, government and military travel, and travel for construction or repair. The remaining 33% represents conference and event travel.
  • Business travelers are traveling longer for each trip: 4.1 days in 2022 (versus 3.3 days as cited in 2017 GBTA research).
  • The amount spent per business trip averaged $632, with 34% spent on lodging ($214), representing the largest single category for spending.

Visit GBTA’s website for further details, and click here to download the complete study.