GBTA Vienna 2026: three days, three hats and a takeaway on business travel

November 14, 2026
Adrian Matt

Review of the GBTA + VDR Europe Conference 2026 in Vienna: record attendance, rising travel spend, interviews, the Media Cocktail and impressions from a Swiss perspective.

For three days, Vienna was the meeting point of Europe’s business travel industry. From 2 to 4 November, the GBTA + VDR Europe Conference in partnership with ABTA took place at the Austria Center Vienna. Nearly 1,400 participants from 41 countries, 350 travel buyers, 75 exhibitors and 130 speakers: the conference has never been this big. It was also the first time it was held in Austria.

I wore several hats in Vienna again. As a journalist, I was accredited for Business Traveltip and took part in the entire media programme. At the same time I was there as CEO of TravelBrain Consulting, listening to talks and discussions and having many conversations with travel managers and exhibitors, not least with the Swiss visitors on site.

The numbers: spend grows faster than trips

The GBTA outlook shows that European business travel spending is forecast to reach €404 billion in 2026, up 7%. The number of trips, around 600 million, grows by just 0.7%. The VDR sentiment barometer fits the picture: 55% of surveyed German companies manage travel more selectively than last year. For nearly 61%, cost has become more important, and 45% place more weight on business value. As an advisor, this is the central message from Vienna for me: it is not about more or fewer trips, but about the right ones.

The journalist hat: interviews and speed dating

As a journalist I conducted three interviews in Vienna (in German):

Suzanne Neufang, CEO of the GBTA: Despite geopolitical tension, sentiment among travel managers is positive again. Price and safety top the priority list, with sustainability staying in the top 5 or 6. On AI, she sees the biggest opportunities in customer service, analysis and time freed up for strategic work. → Link to interview
Christoph Carnier, President of the VDR: He describes cautious optimism, “typically German”. Travel is an investment, so return on investment counts. He considers blanket budget cuts short-sighted. → Link to interview
Paul Dear, Vice President Concur Travel EMEA, and Michael Schmitz, Head of SAP Concur MEE: They explained how railways from different countries can be combined in one booking, for example SBB and ÖBB for Lausanne–Vienna, and why trust and governance decide the use of AI agents. → Link to interview

The second evening was packed. It started with the Media Cocktail in the exhibition halls of the Austria Center, in a speed-dating format: ten suppliers, ten journalists, five minutes per table with the “News of the Day”. A very efficient way to get an overview of exhibitors’ news in a short time. Straight afterwards, buses took us to the Volksgarten, one of the largest event venues in central Vienna. There we enjoyed great entertainment with live music on stage and excellent food, served as a flying dinner and at several food stations. A great evening for networking in a relaxed atmosphere.

The advisor hat: what I take home

On the first evening I was invited by AirPlus Switzerland to a dinner at the restaurant DA Rose. The restaurant belongs to Austrian football professional David Alaba and his sister Rose. Evenings like this matter as much to me as the programme on stage, because they leave room for open conversations with clients and partners.

Switzerland was also well represented in Vienna. Several renowned Swiss travel managers had come to learn first-hand at the suppliers’ stands, and Swiss colleagues from the supplier side were present at many of them. No webinar can replace these direct conversations. Incidentally, that is exactly the argument Christoph Carnier makes for business travel: trust is built on site.

The STMF hat

Another reason for my trip to Vienna: I was also scouting topics and speakers for the upcoming Swiss Travel Management Forum on 4 March 2027 in Zurich. The conference is ideal for this, as the programme, exhibitors and conversations in the corridors show what is currently moving the industry. If you have topics that absolutely belong on the STMF 2027 stage, please get in touch. I will share more about the agenda once the programme is set.

What I took away from Vienna for our clients in Switzerland:

Steer travel more deliberately: Those who can name the value of each trip have the better arguments in budget talks.
Review technology: Rail, AI and travel policies are growing together. Anyone updating their policy today should include rail.
Strengthen risk management: Stability and predictability matter more than optimism alone.

The next GBTA + VDR Europe Conference takes place on 8–10 November 2027 in Cologne. If you are wondering how to set up your travel management for 2027 and approach the planning of your upcoming business trips, feel free to get in touch.