Brazil: +13.8%, business travel is accelerating faster than in other major markets

Brazil country well above the global growth forecast for this year.

Brazil leads the list of the 15 largest markets for growth

The figure comes from the 2026 Business Travel Index of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), published in early August at its annual convention in Chicago.

The distinction is important: Brazil is not the world's largest business travel market. However, it has the highest projected growth rate in 2026 among the 15 major markets studied by the GBTA.

Business travel spending in the country is expected to increase by 13.8% year-on-year to reach $35.8 billion. Embratur indicates that this amount would maintain Brazil's 10th place ranking globally in terms of value.

According to the trade press, Business Travel News also confirms that Brazil is showing the strongest expected growth among these 15 markets. It notably surpasses Australia, credited with an 11.5% increase, South Korea at 11.3%, Turkey at 10.9%, and Japan at 10%.

Global business travel is expected to be worth $1.71 trillion

Brazil's dynamism is occurring within a global market that is itself trending upwards. The GBTA forecasts $1.71 trillion in business travel spending in 2026, representing a 7.2% year-on-year increase.

However, the report provides a crucial clarification for interpreting these figures. The number of business trips is expected to increase much more slowly, by only 1.3%, reaching approximately 1.84 billion trips worldwide.

Part of the increase in spending can therefore be explained by the rise in transport and travel costs, and not solely by an increase in business trips.

For Brazil, the GBTA cites rising energy prices among the factors supporting market prospects in 2026.

$35.8 billion in spending expected in Brazil

The $35.8 billion projection is the key indicator for tourism professionals. It measures spending related to business travel and should not be confused with revenue generated solely by international visitors to Brazil.

The market encompasses various business travel flows, which are taken into account by the BTI methodology. The GBTA analyzes a total of 72 countries and 44 business sectors in its 2026 edition.

The association also points out that companies remain present in the business travel market, while becoming more selective about the trips taken and their usefulness.

Brazil's international tourism is also expected to grow in 2026

Alongside business travel, indicators for international tourism in Brazil remain on an upward trend.

According to Embratur, spending by foreign visitors reached $5.6 billion in the first half of 2026, an increase of 12.14% compared to the first six months of 2025. June alone accounted for $809 million in revenue.

The country also recorded 5,261,733 international tourist arrivals between January and June 2026.Embratur presents this result as the second best level ever recorded in Brazil for a first half of the year.

These data do not allow us to attribute the growth in international tourism solely to the business segment. However, they do show that the growth reported by the GBTA is occurring within a context where arrivals and spending by foreign visitors are also increasing.

Brazil remains 10th, but is accelerating sharply

The main takeaway from the report is therefore less a change in hierarchy than an acceleration. With $35.8 billion in expected business spending, Brazil would remain the 10th largest market in the world, according to data relayed by Embratur.

But with projected growth of 13.8%, it would show the highest rate of growth among the 15 major markets tracked by the GBTA in 2026.

For players in business travel, MICE, hospitality and air transport, it is this combination of market size and rate of growth that deserves to be monitored today.

Sources

• https://gbta.org/global-business-travel-spending-to-hit-record-1-71-trillion-in-2026-while-trips-reach-1-84-billion-says-gbta-forecast/
• https://gbta.org/research/2026-business-travel-index-bti/
• https://www.businesstravelnews.com/Intelligence/GBTA-Projects-2026-Spending-Growth-as-Business-Travel-Volume-Lags
• https://embratur.com.br/2026/08/07/brasil-lidera-projecao-de-crescimento-global-em-viagens-corporativas-em-2026/
• https://embratur.com.br/2026/07/29/gasto-de-turistas-internacionais-no-brasil-cresce-12-e-injeta-us-56-bilhoes-na-economia-no-1o-semestre-de-2026/

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