Business and group travel are powerful economic engines—driving revenue, creating jobs and forging connections that fuel innovation and growth.

It’s time to get back to business

Business travel, meetings and events fuel our economy by generating billions in revenue, creating jobs and sparking the innovations that drive growth.

Business and group travel lead to stronger relationships, better collaboration and real results. There’s no substitute for gathering in person—and a seamless, efficient travel experience is key to inspiring more business and group travel and unlocking its full potential to power growth.

Business Travel

Why it matters: Business travelers typically represent just 20% of total travel volume, but they account for up to 60% of lodging and air revenue, making them essential to America’s travel economy.

In 2024, business travel generated $312 billion in spending, an 85% recovery from 2019 levels.

Transient business travel—individual, work-related trips—reached $186 billion in 2024 (87% of 2019 levels), though growth has slowed slightly as companies maintain cost constraints.

Meetings and business events, including conventions and trade shows, generated $126 billion in 2024, recovering to 82% of 2019 levels and projected to grow faster than transient travel through 2025 as the desire for meeting in person continued to grow.

Group Travel: A Multi-Segment Powerhouse

Unlike other travel segments, group travel spans both business and leisure categories, and includes some international inbound as well, making it a critical driver across the travel economy.

Group travel—for business events, leisure tours, sporting events and live entertainment—generates $319 billion in annual economic impact and supports over 3 million jobs across the United States.

Understanding Group Travel's Four Segments

Meetings & Business Events

$126 Billion in 2024 spending

Conventions, B2B tradeshows, corporate meetings and incentive travel are a core component of the business travel sector. Business events were projected to grow faster than transient business travel through 2025 and generated $126 billion in spending in 2024, an 82% recovery from 2019 levels.

When meetings and events come to town, they bring high-impact visitor spending—filling hotels, restaurants, shops and energizing local economies nationwide.

Participatory Sports

$52 Billion in 2024 spending

Youth and amateur sporting events generated $52 billion in travel spending in 2024.

Often considered recession-resistant, this segment has shown remarkable resilience during economic downturns and is now a leading driver of hotel room demand in many secondary markets. Cities across the country are investing in specialized sports facilities to capture this high-impact visitation.

Live Spectator Events

$102 billion in 2024 spending

Concerts, festivals and professional sports experienced severe disruption during the pandemic but have rebounded strongly, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

Pent-up demand for live, in-person experiences has fueled this resurgence, with major tours and festivals generating $102 billion in economic impact in 2024 through spending at hotels, restaurants and local businesses.

Leisure Group Travel

$39 billion in 2024 spending

Motorcoach tours, vacation packages, organized sightseeing and other large group experiences generated $39 billion in travel spending in 2024.

This segment plays a vital role in supporting small towns and rural communities, where group travel is often a primary economic driver.

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Why Group Travel Matters

Beyond its economic impact, group travel creates irreplaceable opportunities for human connection, professional development and personal growth.

Business events fuel innovation and growth. Face-to-face meetings enable unscripted conversations, spark new ideas and create partnerships that drive long-term success.
In-person events are indispensable for training and upskilling. As AI reshapes the workplace, face-to-face professional development ensures workforces stay competitive and adaptable.
Remote work has made in-person connection more valuable—not less. Career advancement, team building and organizational culture all depend on face-to-face interactions that build and strengthen relationships, particularly for newer generations entering the workforce.
Virtual meetings share information, in-person meetings shape outcomes. Video calls handle updates efficiently, but collaboration, trust-building and complex problem-solving depend on being together in the same room.