Business journey in Canada is poised for a powerful, evolving future, in line with the takeaways and forecasts unveiled in the course of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Canada Conference 2024 held in Toronto this week, April 22-24. As the premier commerce affiliation and “voice” of the worldwide enterprise journey business, GBTA welcomed enterprise journey professionals, firms and visitors from throughout Canada and past to the Beanfield Centre for its twentieth annual regional occasion.
Over 600 registered enterprise journey patrons, suppliers and different attendees, together with over 50 exhibiting firms, got here collectively for major stage displays, panel conversations and schooling periods. The occasion additionally included recognition of GBTA’s Canadian volunteers and the convention’s legendary “Big Night Out” networking occasion.
Strong Forecast and Outlook for Business Travel in Canada
An eagerly anticipated side of the Conference, GBTA launched the Canada-specific forecast from its Business Travel Index™ (BTI) Outlook report together with different analysis highlights, insights and tendencies forward for the business. According to knowledge from the most recent GBTA BTI report, enterprise journey spending in Canada is anticipated to get well to its pre-COVID stage this 12 months, which is one 12 months later than the broader North American area however parallel to the worldwide charge of restoration.
For 2024, GBTA forecasts point out Canadian enterprise journey spending is anticipated to succeed in $25.9 billion USD, representing annual progress of 13.5%. This outpaces each international (11.8%) and United States (9.2%) progress forecasts. In 2019 earlier than the pandemic, Canadian enterprise journey had reached $25.7 billion USD.
Other key GBTA analysis takeaways for the Canada enterprise journey sector included:
- Canadian journey patrons count on to spend extra on enterprise journey in 2024, with almost three in 5 (59%) planning for his or her firms’ spend to be greater in comparison with final 12 months.
- Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Canadian journey patrons count on their firm will take extra enterprise journeys this 12 months in comparison with final 12 months, however two in 5 (18%) count on the identical quantity of enterprise journeys.
- When requested about challenges, Canadian patrons and suppliers cited monetary considerations on the high of their record, particularly the rising price of journey, total financial situations and company budgets not retaining tempo with wants.
- In the 2023 GBTA BTI’s worldwide survey of enterprise vacationers, 57% of Canadian enterprise vacationers who responded say they traveled the identical quantity or extra than they did pre-pandemic.
- 55% mentioned they blended journey (i.e. combining leisure journey with their enterprise journeys) extra than they did in 2019.
- They reported spending a median of $884 USD per enterprise journey in 2023.
- 82% mentioned enterprise journey is worth it in reaching their enterprise aims.
New National and Regional GBTA Leadership Takes the Stage
Janette Acosta Sanchez, who joined GBTA in February as Country Director for Canada, took the convention’s major stage for the primary time, main key periods and reiterating the group’s dedication to coach, talk and advocate for a thriving post-pandemic Canadian enterprise journey business.
Canada is a very various nation, marked by a wide range of cultures, mindsets and priorities. There aren’t any ‘one size fits all’ options and GBTA is squarely targeted on making a sustainable, profitable future for the Canadian enterprise journey business. A powerful enterprise journey business is important to the area, from making certain our future workforce to creating Canada one of many high economies for international enterprise journey,
mentioned Sanchez.
Along with Acosta Sanchez and an esteemed group of presenters, panelists and visitors, Cristina Scott, GBTA Senior Vice President for the Americas, additionally addressed the convention’s attendees for the primary time since becoming a member of GBTA in August 2023.
One of GBTA’s pillars is uniting the enterprise journey group, and we acknowledge Canada has a singular journey market, full of range in its folks and priorities. With a lot occurring in our business proper now as we proceed to find what a post-pandemic enterprise journey sector appears like, we’re dedicated to creating positive Canada’s voice is heard whereas we glance forward and navigate the way forward for enterprise journey collectively,
mentioned Scott.
Conference Celebrates a Milestone, Recognizes Volunteers and Delivers Actionable Education and Takeaways
GBTA Board of Directors President, Mark Cuschieri, opened the convention by noting 2024 marks 20 years GBTA has held a Canada Conference.
GBTA’s head of Government Relations and Community Affairs, Shane Downey, mentioned the affiliation’s advocacy priorities and actions taken globally and in Canada. He additionally led a dialogue with knowledgeable panelists on how the journey business is responding to authorities initiatives and searching for options. Additionally, a major stage fireplace chat on the nation’s accessibility requirements included Canadian authorities officers.
GBTA once more acknowledged excellent volunteers in Canada for his or her contributions. Award recipients are:
- GBTA Volunteer Inspiration Award: Patrick Doyle, Chief Commercial Officer for Flight Claim
- Business Travel Service Award winners for Canada: Jennifer Urquhart, Director, Strategic Sales at Enterprise Mobility, and Charles Crowder, Head of Global Airline Relationships at ARC Corporation
Education periods targeted on important priorities and alternatives within the Canadian enterprise journey sector together with journey supervisor wants of the longer term; traveler evolution and the passenger journey; embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and different applied sciences; the persevering with roll-out of New Distribution Capability (NDC); and sustainability in enterprise journey. The occasion additionally included quite a few purchaser and provider periods, networking alternatives, and a particular welcome occasion for brand new and returning business professionals. The Canada Conference’s concluding major stage was an “Ask Me Anything” session with provider and purchaser panelists who answered questions on varied subjects associated to the Canadian enterprise journey panorama.
GBTA additionally introduced it should host its 21st Canada Conference once more on the Beanfield Centre in Toronto April 28-30, 2025.
To view photographs from the GBTA Canada Conference-Toronto, go to the occasion gallery right here. Interviews in regards to the newest developments from business leaders on the convention’s Broadcast Studio might be uploaded to GBTA’s YouTube channel within the subsequent few days.
About the Global Business Travel Association
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world’s premier enterprise journey and conferences commerce group headquartered within the Washington, D.C. space with operations on six continents. GBTA’s members handle greater than $345 billion of worldwide enterprise journey and conferences expenditures yearly. GBTA delivers world-class schooling, occasions, analysis, advocacy, and media to a rising international community of greater than 28,000 journey professionals and 125,000 lively contacts.
About the GBTA Foundation
The mission of the GBTA Foundation, the US 501c3 charitable arm of GBTA, is to assist the worldwide enterprise journey business create a constructive impression and a greater future for folks and the planet. The GBTA Foundation focuses on the technique and execution of GBTA’s international sustainability packages, supporting initiatives associated to local weather motion; range, fairness and inclusion; and different talent-related subjects through schooling, analysis and advocacy.