Related: Global Business Travel Spending to Reach $1.3 Trillion
Global Ground Transportation to Continue Flat Pricing
New Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) research highlights six risks heading into 2017 that could impact both travel industry prices and the global economy as a whole. Risks include financial market turbulence, oil prices, and uncertainty surrounding Brexit.
New Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) research highlights six risks heading into 2017 that could impact both travel industry prices and the global economy as a whole. These risks include emerging market performance, financial market turbulence, geopolitical risks, uncertainty surrounding Brexit, potentially fluctuating U.S. interest rates, and oil prices.
“While business travel repeatedly demonstrates its resilience, the high level of global uncertainty we face heading into 2017 means travel buyers have to be more nimble and flexible than ever in crafting travel programs,” said Jeanne Liu, vice president for research for the GBTA Foundation. “The outlook shows only marginal increases or flat travel prices, but for 2017, the key to building successful travel programs will be watching and reacting to an ever-changing global landscape.”
These findings come from the “2017 Global Travel Price Outlook,” research from the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the GBTA, and travel management company Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT). The third annual report provides global, regional, and country-by-country projections for air travel, hotel, ground transportation, and meetings and events prices in 2017.
For the global ground transportation sector, a competitive climate will dictate continued flat pricing, according to the report. Asia-Pacific prices are expected to increase slightly by 0.8% while the EMEA is projected to remain flat across the board — with a small 0.1% decrease expected in Western Europe. In North America, prices are projected to remain flat in 2017. For LATAM, prices are expected to edge forward by 0.5%.
“We are seeing relatively low, inconsistent, and in some cases fragile economic growth,” said Kurt Ekert, president and CEO of CWT. “Travelers and travel managers need to understand their travel patterns and spend, and be alert to the impact of economic uncertainty and volatility. Proper planning will put them in position to make changes when necessary and to avoid downside financial risk.”
More Rental Operations

Clean on Paper: Red Flags in Exotic Car Rental Verification
A suspicious $45,000 Lamborghini booking reveals the strengths and limitations of renter verification, from forged insurance documents to coverage gaps and unauthorized drivers. (Part 2 of 3)
Read More →
Turo and Tesla Take the Next Step Toward Autonomous Car Rentals
The partnership brings Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology into the rental experience, offering a glimpse of how increasingly automated vehicles could change car rental.
Read More →
How Rental Operators Can Navigate Personalized Pricing Rules
As regulators scrutinize the use of customer data in pricing, rental operators need to know whether they can explain why one renter pays more than another.
Read More →
Direct, Broker or Hybrid? How Travel Retailers Source Rental Cars
As travel retailers weigh direct supplier relationships against third-party distribution, rental operators need to understand how those decisions affect their business.
Read More →
How Did This Independent Rental Operator Grow to 170 Vehicles in 4 Years?
With 170 vehicles across three Kentucky locations, Joel Price relies on an overseas team to handle reservations, payments, and after-hours customer service. It's one part of an unconventional approach to growing an independent rental operation.
Read More →
What Does It Take to Succeed in B2B Rentals?
The fundamentals may be familiar to daily car rental operators, but project-based truck rentals put different demands on the fleet and the business.
Read More →
NPR Builds on International Partnerships to Grow Rental Bookings
With Ana Laborde supporting broker development, NPR Auto Group is tailoring distribution strategies, rate packages, and partnerships to grow international reservations across its three brands.
Read More →
Advantage, Sixt Place Among Top Five in Annual Satisfaction Study
While Enterprise and National retain the top spots in JD Power’s 2026 rankings, the latest customer satisfaction results suggest renters can find competitive service beyond the biggest car rental names.
Read More →
The $100,000 Insurance Trap in Exotic Car Rentals
Exotic rental agencies often rely on customers’ personal auto policies to protect six-figure vehicles. But policy language can dramatically change the coverage for vehicles over $100,000 MSRP.
Read More →
The Booking Is Confirmed, But Is Your Customer Ready to Drive?
For international renters, a confirmed reservation doesn’t always mean they’re eligible to drive. Earlier checks can help operators catch documentation and payment issues before the customer reaches the counter.
Read More →
