Business travel activity continued to outpace leisure travel during the first half of 2026, according to the latest Business Travel Benchmark released by Navan.
The report found business travel volume increased 13.5 percent year-over-year during the first six months of 2026, while broader leisure travel remained relatively flat as indicated by TSA data, which saw volume rise 0.5 percent over the same period. According to the report, the gap between Navan's Business Travel Benchmark and the TSA Passenger Index reached its widest level since the benchmark was introduced in 2023. The benchmark increased to 189.1 in the first half of 2026, while the index reached 121.1.
“Travel is highly seasonal, but the divergence between business and leisure in the first half of this year was more pronounced than we've seen,” Aurélien Nolf, CFO, Navan, said in a statement. “Even as broader travel plateaued, businesses kept investing in face-to-face interactions because of its essential role in driving growth, serving customers and building teams.”
Navan—a global AI-powered business travel and expense platform—also reported that business travel spending continued to rise despite higher travel costs. Domestic travel spend increased 21.5 percent year-over-year as trip volume grew 8.8 percent. Domestic hotel booking volume rose 11.1 percent, while international hotel bookings increased 9.8 percent.
Airfare also increased during the period. Domestic average ticket prices increased 14.4 percent year-over-year, while international fares rose 9.1 percent. Premium cabin travel outpaced overall growth, with domestic business- and first-class trips increasing 17 percent and international premium cabin travel rising 19.3 percent.
Among industry sectors, professional services recorded the largest increase in business travel activity, growing 44.6 percent year-over-year. Government and public sector travel increased 28.5 percent, followed by transportation and logistics (27.8 percent), energy and utilities (26.2 percent), and nonprofit organizations (22.9 percent).
The benchmark is based on millions of corporate travel and expense transactions from more than 12,500 businesses using Navan's platform and compares travel activity during the first half of 2026 with the same period in 2025.