Dwellworks Living Aligns with the Key Messages at GBTA Convention 2025

The Dwellworks Living team of Andria LaMantia, VP, Global Sales, Maura Carey, VP, Content, Research and ESG Initiatives, and Genna Neibauer, Director, North American Supply Chain, attended the conference to learn first-hand about the most significant trends and expectations of our global furnished accommodations customers. As exhibitors in the Sustainability Pavilion, we met with clients, prospective clients, and supplier partners to discuss solutions that optimized cost, coverage, and sustainability practices for global travelers. 

A highlight of the convention was the release and summary of key facts from GBTA’s annual Global Business Travel Index Outlook (GBTA BTI™). Highlights from the report included:

• A forecasted global business travel spend of $1.57 trillion US by year-end 2025 and $2 trillion by 2029
• Moderate growth in business travel spend in 2025 vs 2024 as global trade tensions, policy uncertainties, and geopolitical conflicts are worked through
• Travel originating from the US and China accounts for nearly 60% of global business travel activity, and the manufacturing sector is the largest originator of global business travel
• Accommodations spending accounted for nearly one-third of global business travel spending in 2024, at $463 billion US

In related research, the American Society for Travel Advisors (ASTA) and GBTA shared their July 2025 report confirming the economic impact of business travel: every $1 spent on travel yields an ROI of $14.60. Further research shared at the conference included positive economic indicators such as an historic low in global unemployment and steady, if not spectacular, growth in both leading and emerging economies. In general, continuity and stability are the most reliable indicators for continued economic expansion.

From CEOs of leading business travel companies to economists and sector specialists, the takeaway message on business travel and global economics was that, as one commentator shared, “We’re good at this.” The impact and recovery from COVID-19 set the stage for an industry that is now experienced in managing global turbulence. Whether the issue is global trade, new geographic concentrations of activity, or rapid deployment of new technology, business travel has come to expect disruption and ‘price it in’ as businesses continue to expand. Uncertainty brought on by politics is a factor in global business and global business travel, but strong underlying business fundamentals overall has meant continuous, if measured, growth for the industry in the past two years, and that positive outlook informs business travel expectations for the balance of the decade.

GBTA Convention 2025 attendees included 1100 travel buyer professionals representing 650 companies. The convention agenda included nearly 100 sessions in 16 professional development tracks. A sample of key tracks and sessions attended by our team, aligning with our customers’ interests and expectations, included:

Accommodations: A key accommodations session, "Chaos to Clarity: Fixing the Extended Stay Puzzle for Project Travel” was hosted by Nick Estrada, CEO, Corporate Housing Providers Association, and is discussed in more detail below.

Observations from other core content sessions included:

AI: In one session survey, 57% of the audience members indicated they were not using AI or did not know how to apply the technology for their business needs. In contrast, Paul Abbott, CEO, American Express Global Business Travel made clear his organization’s goal is to be a leading technology company within 10 years, and that AI is mission critical. A key value of AI in business travel will be agentic services, where AI agents will consolidate and coordinate travel data and insights at a level of depth and speed not previously possible. The impact is especially relevant for traveler duty of care and preparedness, another key GBTA Convention education track.

Future of Workforce: Multiple sessions explored the demographics of a diverse, dynamic global workforce with high expectations for professional opportunity and a strong interest in global travel. In one session entitled “What 3750 Global Business Travelers REALLY Think,” the speaker shared that effective business travel management is more than optimized process and that failing to deliver travel support is essentially “a resignation waiting to happen.” 97% of those surveyed want to travel and 55% said travel was essential to their job. In return for their investment in the business, they are looking for ‘away from home’ comforts that make it easier to say yes to company asks for travel and extended stays. 

GBTA Research: The convention hosted multiple educational sessions and main stage conversations with GBTA CEO Suzanne Neufang on the organization’s research, including the introduction of the 2025 Business Travel Index Outlook. In addition to observations already noted about an estimated 6% growth in business travel in 2026, the research identified prospective fast growth travel markets include India, South Korea, and Türkiye, and likely sector growth in Mining, Information/Communication, and Professional Services. The research also noted growing travel needs for Training, Projects, and Conferences. 

Procurement and Sourcing: “Debate and Decide: Travel Policy Face Off” was one of several sessions focused on balancing corporate culture with cost-effective travel policy and practices, realistic controls, and integrated TMC and supplier partnerships and technology. A flexible policy was described as one designed to allow employees to be as productive as possible and sustain morale and well-being during business travel. A creative response to ‘bleisure’ travel in this construct is to track both company and employee personal spend with suppliers and leverage the total volume to the company’s advantage in pricing and responsiveness. A flexible policy requires effective technology to track traveler use of options and look for the best match of ‘customer centric’ and ‘cost effective’ suppliers, along with a well-aligned TMC to oversee analysis, make recommendations, and keep the policy coordinated with the company’s business goals.

A centrally controlled policy is rooted in the need to demonstrate cost-effective travel management to business leadership. While recognizing individual traveler needs and providing choice in accommodations, the overall focus is on supplier leverage. The employer in this session whose company uses a controlled policy mentioned partnering with a smaller TMC, in order to ensure their business was prioritized as a customer, with insightful expense analysis and supply chain management. A controlled policy is also valuable for duty of care and visibility into the location of every business traveler to manage risk and responsiveness when geopolitical or climate-related emergency action is required.

Risk Management/Duty of Care: In a business travel era focused on managing through change and turbulence, and with an eye on both cost-containment and growth, Duty of Care remains the highest priority in business travel management. Risk Management runs the gamut from protecting PII (personally identifiable information) to personal and property safety and security to the management of emergency services in an environment of constant potential threats, whether geopolitical or environmentally related.

In “Managing Security, Mental Health and Fatalities While Traveling,” a session hosted by International SOS (ISOS), the panelists focused their comments on the essential need for a security plan that is developed by and accessible to all stakeholders in business travel. The panelists emphasized the post-COVID 19 need to re-educate employees on ‘how to travel’ and for employers to periodically run tabletop exercises to test their readiness in the event of human-made, nature-caused, or geopolitical disruption. In a crisis environment, the travel department is a key communications hub and needs technology resources and an established policy framework to be effective in their jobs. It was also noted that when emergencies arise, like the Los Angeles wildfires of January 2025, travel team resources, including accommodations suppliers, are activated to support the evacuation and housing of local employees, not just those traveling to the impacted area. 

Sustainability: From the VP, Corporate Travel at Shell, to the subject matter experts on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), to numerous sessions focused on sustainable policy, practice, and measurement, it was clear that sustainable travel management remains a key priority on a global scale for corporate travel managers and buyers. A session on “Metrics that Matter: What’s the Competitive Advantage of Business Travel?” brought together leadership insights from IHG, American Express Global Business Travel, Marriott International, and Paraxel, a leading global clinical research organization (CRO). All the contributors were aligned with the GBTA Foundation, which guides the industry’s education and advocacy in sustainability. 

Each member of the panel emphasized their science-based approach to sustainability, as well as their compliance with the laws and regulations of every jurisdiction where they do business, including the US, the EU, and countries with emerging sustainability frameworks. The key takeaways from this discussion and others on sustainability were two-fold: One, to work in partnership not competition on sustainability. Wherever possible travel industry members, whether corporates or suppliers, should leverage centralized, objective, scientific resources, such as the HCMI tool for carbon calculations of hotel stays, and not create one-off tools and practices that impede cooperation and introduce confusion into the travel marketplace. Two, to continue to make progress is imperative from a stakeholder as well as planet perspective. “Pauses” in regulatory guidance, whether in the US or in the EU’s CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), will not ultimately deter the need to take climate action consistent with 2030 Net Zero goals. These industry leaders made clear that they continue to take sustainable actions to reduce costs, reduce environmental impact, educate investors and partners, and secure both customer and employee loyalty. 

The Accommodations Sector and Role of Furnished Accommodations

An essential session on furnished accommodations was led by Nick Estrada, CEO, Corporate Housing Providers Association. “Chaos to Clarity: Fixing the Extended Stay Puzzle for Project Travel” provided a much-needed overview for travel buyers on the value and ease-of-use of furnished apartments as an alternative to hotel solutions for extended stays for groups and projects.

 As a cost savings measure alone, extended stays in furnished accommodations of 30+ days or more are 5-26% less expensive, on the basis of average daily rates in key US cities, than a comparable hotel stay. Moreover, furnished accommodations offer comfort and choice to travelers with high expectations for options and amenities. An accommodations program, as described by Carol Fergus, Director Global Travel, Events, and Ground Transportation at Fidelity International, allows the traveler choice in a curated, quality-controlled environment. Provided the net cost is the same, employees are free to choose a furnished apartment option, which demonstrates responsiveness to the traveler’s expectations without incurring risk to the business.

Danny Cockton, VP, Global Travel Services, Wood PLC emphasized this latter point. Working through a global agency, employers can provide vetted, secure, professionally managed temporary living options for their groups and individual travelers, without resorting to unmanaged vacation travel choices. This session was intended to elevate visibility to travel buyers that quality controlled, appealing furnished accommodations are accessible at global scale and easily selected and booked through corporate travel intranet sites and dedicated APIs and sourcing management platforms. With group travel on the rise for training and projects, per GBTA research, furnished accommodations present a cost-effective, customer-led option for high impact travelers. 

Dwellworks Living Meets the Priorities of Global Travel Buyers

The GBTA Convention 2025 was a fantastic opportunity for Dwellworks Living to connect with buyers and showcase our capabilities in meeting their priorities. Our technological investments in epic^TM, our industry-leading sourcing and supplier management platform, are an example of what sets us apart in meeting clients’ global accommodations needs. With access to over 80,000 vetted accommodations options in 125+ countries, travel buyers and managers can seamlessly integrate Dwellworks Living into their travel intranet sites or through customized APIs, ensuring rapid response to client-designed specifications.

We pride ourselves on providing unique levels of accommodations program analysis through our customized client portals. Whether it's comparative cost analysis, guest satisfaction feedback, or automated communications, we offer decision-driving data to support complex global travel program needs.

Our commitment to duty of care is second to none. From thorough, individualized, and documented property inspections to instant awareness via ISOS enabling response to high-profile incidents, Dwellworks Living leads with a holistic approach to safety and security. Our enterprise risk management committee ensures that we maintain a well-governed, comprehensive environment of customer service, quality control, and risk mitigation.

Sustainability is at the core of our solutions. As co-chair of the Corporate Housing Providers Association Sustainability Workforce, we advocate for the use of FACCT and objective industry standards to measure and reduce carbon emissions. Wherever available across thousands of locations, we provide clients with sustainable property options sourced from our global supplier network.

Whether the solutions need is for housing for projects and groups, highly sought after interns, global mobility and relocation, or ongoing global travel, Dwellworks Living is aligned to deliver solutions, service, options, and proven cost performance. For more information or to arrange a demonstration of our services, solutions, and technology, contact [email protected] or visit https://www.dwellworksliving.com. 

About Dwellworks Living

Dwellworks Living's corporate housing and serviced accommodations solutions are designed to help businesses attract and retain top talent, support employee productivity, and ensure a smooth and successful relocation or business travel experience. Whether you have corporate housing needs for an individual employee or a large team, Dwellworks Living can provide the serviced accommodations solutions you need anywhere in the world to ensure a safe and successful stay. Please contact us to learn more or visit our Properties page to begin your search for global housing accommodations. 

About GBTA

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area serving stakeholders across six continents. GBTA and its 9,000+ members represent and advocate for the $1.48 trillion global business travel and meetings industry. GBTA and the GBTA than Foundation deliver world-class education, events, research, advocacy, and media to a growing global network of more 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts. For more information, visit GBTA.org and GBTAFoundation.org.