Business travel in MEA hits $23bn in 2022, could return to pre-pandemic levels next year

The business travel spending across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region is projected to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2024, according to the Business Travel Index Outlook annual forecast and outlook 2022 from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).

Business travel spending amounted to $933 billion across the world in 2022, representing 65% of the $1.40 trillion business pre-pandemic travel spend. Meanwhile, the MEA region contributed $23 billion (2.5%) of the overall spending within the sector.

The region’s business travel industry is seen recovering more rapidly than in any other region, as the sector achieved 86% of its 2019 levels during 2022, outperforming the recovery in the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe.