American Express Global Business Travel has announced the results of its 2015 EVP Barometer. The results show that business travel spending increased by 1.42 per cent in 2015, more than twice the rise anticipated in the 2014 Barometer. In addition, “safety and security” has overtaken “cost control” to be the number one priority of company executives when considering business travel.

An improving economic outlook with business and consumer confidence on the rise is expected to boost business travel in 2013, leading the Global Business Travel Association to upgrade its forecast for the year.  Stronger corporate profits, increasing job development and improvements in key export markets are fueling business travel spending after a sluggish fourth quarter that was dampened by political uncertainty due to the “fiscal cliff” debate.

International business travel spending from the UK, Germany and France is expected to drop this year, but will make a recovery in 2013, according to latest forecasts from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).

Business travel will maintain its upward trajectory in 2012, but a stagnant U.S. economy is driving increasing corporate uncertainty and leading to projections of slower U.S. business travel spending growth next year, according to the latest Business Travel Quarterly Outlook – United States from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), sponsored by Visa.

Business travel suffered highs and lows during the recession and will continue to remain super-cyclical. In the medium term though, the outlook is positive. Long-haul premium air travel is returning, however PwC believes the market has fundamentally changed in short-haul travel.

Eurostar, the high-speed passenger service linking London, Paris and Brussels has today launched a guaranteed boarding service for its flagship Business Premier class.