UK-based SMEs are increasing their spending on business travel this year compared with 2024, according to research from Travel Counsellors for Business.
A survey of 1,000 UK organisations found an average projected spend on international travel of around £48,000 in 2025, which was an increase of 12 per cent compared with last year.
This momentum is set to continue, with 62 per cent of respondents planning to increase their international travel budgets in the next 12 months.
Just under half of companies (43 per cent) plan to take more overseas trips in the next year, with the average rising from 6.77 to 7 trips per year.
Travel Counsellors said the survey results reflect its own business travel trading patterns, which have seen double-digit annual growth since the Covid-19 pandemic.
This includes a 10 per cent year-on-year rise in demand for premium and business class bookings, with demand particularly strong from sectors such as professional services, music and entertainment.
The TMC also noted that trip length has also increased for clients from an average of 8.6 days last year to 9.8 days in 2025.
The survey found that the top reason for business travel among SMEs was meeting clients (55 per cent) – up from 40 per cent in 2024. The main benefit of these trips was the creation of stronger relationships, as well as enhancing collaboration and communication with clients.
Europe was the most popular destination for SMEs with 67 per cent of firms travelling to the continent, followed by North America (28 per cent) and Asia (25 per cent).
Travel Counsellors noted that the US was the single largest destination with 22 per cent of bookings – up by 9 per cent year-on-year, despite the turmoil caused by the US president Donald Trump’s tariff policies.
Melanie Quinn, director of Travel Counsellors for Business, added: “Our research shows that SMEs increasingly view business travel as a strategic growth lever, recognising the value of face-to-face interactions where the human touch is at the heart.
“As we continue to grow, we remain true to our mission: combining technology with human care so that our corporate Travel Counsellors can focus on what matters most – building personal relationships and delivering a highly tailored, concierge-like service for every SME client.”
Travel Counsellors for Business was ranked as the 12th largest travel management company in the UK and the 20th largest in Europe in the list of Europe’s Leading TMCs 2025.