Business travel to soar with 45% of corporates forecast to spend more in FY26

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27 August 2025 - Flight Centre Travel Group’s (FCTG) corporate landmark global State of the Market survey* has revealed that 45 per cent of customers intend to increase their travel spend versus last year – a three per cent uplift when compared to FY25 intentions.

Overall, for flagship businesses FCM Travel and Corporate Traveller, nine per cent of customers surveyed intend to spend over 20 per cent more on their travel, 36 per cent plan to increase by up to 20 per cent more, and 37 per cent believe the amount spent will be similar to last year. In comparison, only eight per cent anticipate reducing.

It follows the release of end-of-financial-year results to the Australian Securities Exchange. The results showed that FCTG achieved a record total transaction value (TTV) of AUD$24.5 billion, up three per cent year-on-year (YOY) in a challenging global trading cycle, and an AUD$289.1 million UPBT, at the midpoint of the recently revised range.

The corporate business again delivered a record TTV of AUD$12.3 billion, up two per cent YOY, with FCM Travel securing a large pipeline of new accounts, expanding addressable markets, and set to benefit from industry consolidation. Corporate Traveller is also set to become a AUD$5 billion-per-year TTV business and outperform in the large US market.

Comments by Chris Galanty, FCTG Global Corporate CEO:

“There’s no question corporate travel is deemed to be a non-discretionary spend for businesses as a critical facet to surviving and thriving worldwide – this is now evidenced by a significant percentage of our customers planning to increase their travel spend in FY26,” said Galanty.

“These figures paint a positive picture for the world of business travel in the new financial year.

“Significant technology advancements in AI through our Centre of Excellence, combined with an uplift in the utilisation of FCM Platform and Melon, have enabled us to automate the ordinary, allowing us to provide our customers with the extraordinary.

“Companies, whether they be large multi-nationals, SMEs or start-up businesses, are vital to economies across the globe, and it’s with great pride that we get to deliver our unique blend of the expertise of our people and our innovative technology to service them in their aspirations.”

Australia-based FCM Travel and Corporate Traveller Global COO, Melissa Elf, said, despite the global headwinds of FY25, FCTG's corporate business had delivered another year of record TTV, and performance in the Australian market has been solid, achieving year-on-year profit growth.

“The fact that our flagship corporate brands, FCM and Corporate Traveller, have been able to produce record levels of transaction values and continue to grow profit in Australia is a real feat, considering we've faced quite a challenging year across the industry,”

“We have invested over many years in preparation for days such as these - not just to weather the storms that inevitably come, but to continue to grow and thrive through them.  

“Our focus on productive operations and the world-leading customer service our corporate brands deliver has seen us through a dramatically changing global trade environment, major conflicts, various travel disruptions, and a tight economy across the board.    

“We've made leaps in our technology and AI offering, including the launch of innovative new products, like our Sam AI tool, as an example, that customers are benefiting from, responding positively to, and that are creating strong productivity growth across our teams.  

“Similarly, we’ve led the way with the implementation of New Distribution Capability – one of the most significant innovations we’ve seen in the way airlines distribute tickets to customers – which is providing greater access to content and savings for many thousands of customers.  

“We have a positive outlook for the upcoming fiscal year, as we are integrating new technology and attracting new business, with current customers telling us they plan to travel more and increase their spend this year.”

Comments by Melissa Elf, FCM Travel and Corporate Traveller Global COO:

“The fact that our flagship corporate brands, FCM and Corporate Traveller, have been able to produce record levels of transaction values and continue to grow profit in Australia is a real feat, considering we've faced quite a challenging year across the industry,” said Elf.

“We have invested over many years in preparation for days such as these - not just to weather the storms that inevitably come, but to continue to grow and thrive through them.  

“Our focus on productive operations and the world-leading customer service our corporate brands deliver has seen us through a dramatically changing global trade environment, major conflicts, various travel disruptions, and a tight economy across the board.    

“We've made leaps in our technology and AI offering, including the launch of innovative new products, like our Sam AI tool, as an example, that customers are benefiting from, responding positively to, and that are creating strong productivity growth across our teams.   
“Similarly, we’ve led the way with the implementation of New Distribution Capability – one of the most significant innovations we’ve seen in the way airlines distribute tickets to customers – which is providing greater access to content and savings for many thousands of customers.  

“We have a positive outlook for the upcoming fiscal year, as we are integrating new technology and attracting new business, with current customers telling us they plan to travel more and increase their spend this year.”

Read the full ASX announcement