2025 GBTA UK ROI Study
T&E and the Bottom-Line: Quantifying the Return on Investment of UK Business Travel
Published July 2025
Business travel is a driver of growth and business success. Yet, what is the “right” amount of business travel? Underinvesting in business travel can stunt revenue, profits and employee development. This study explores the return on investment (ROI) of business travel in the United Kingdom. It addresses key questions including travel and expense (T&E) investment, optimal levels of travel and comparisons across industries.
Key findings from the research include:
- Despite a nominal increase of £4.3 billion (11.8%) in 2024, T&E investment is still below the optimal level for maximising revenue and profits. Across all UK industries, the profit-maximising level of nominal T&E is £35.6 billion, about £3 billion above current levels. Net result: a 13.8x ROI—£13.80 in net operating margin for every £1 invested in business travel.
- On average, firms would need to invest just £94 per employee in additional T&E across all industries in T&E could help firms reach optimal investment levels.
- Manufacturing and Real Estate stand out as industries with the highest business travel expenditures, both in total spend and as a share of industry sales. Yet despite this high level of investment, they still exhibit the largest gaps between current and optimal T&E spending—highlighting untapped potential for growth and performance gains through more strategic travel.
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