The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA)’s Asia-Pacific Conference formally opened today, 12th May, at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore.

This year’s event welcomes close to 1,100 trade professionals from 35 nations, including 320 corporate travel managers from at least 195 companies.

The attendance numbers are seen by GBTA executives as a reflection of the sector’s commitment to its work, as well as the need to collaborate throughout the industry and the shared belief in the concepts shaping the future of business travel throughout the region.

Over its two-day run, the GBTA APAC Conference will serve as a platform to highlight current trends in the sector, to enable trade professionals to network with their peers, and to forecast the direction that the regional sector may take moving forward.

An excellent beginning

In his opening remarks, GBTA APAC regional chair Peter Koh declared that the corporate business travel sector’s presence in the region is stronger than ever.

Koh cited the sector’s significant growth in Australia and New Zealand, as well as its ongoing expansion in India via Hyderabad.

He added: “Today, GBTA has almost 700 members, a 30 percent increase year on year. This growth is actually intentional to drive progress and to shape what is now and is also what is next in the business travel across the region.”

Koh also noted that 2026 is getting to be an extraordinary year for GBTA in APAC as the business travel community continues to grow, not just in size but in influence and impact. 

For her part, Rosemary Maloney, president of GBTA’s board of directors, reminded attendees: “We're very much a part of something that is global and growing. The Asia Pacific is not only one of the most important business travel markets in the world, but it's also one of the most dynamic. What we see here is community in action.”