LONDON – UK businesses are spending more than £1.6 billion annually on mitigating the fallout from travel disruption, according to a report out this week from TravelPerk.

It says the cost represents roughly 4% of the UK’s total business travel budget, which is projected at £45.6 billion by the GBTA.

The report, based on a survey of 2,000 business travelers from the UK, as well as a further 5,000 globally, found that for the UK, weather-related events caused setbacks for 42% of business travelers, double that of 2023.

Cancellations are also on the rise, with 48% of UK professionals affected during business trips in 2025, compared to 30% in 2023.

At a global level there has also been a sharp rise, from 24% in 2023 to 36% in the past 12 months.

The research found 89% of UK business travelers had a trip not go to plan in the past 12 months.

On average, UK business travelers had to cancel or postpone two business trips in the past 12 months due to travel disruption.

For the 90% of UK business travelers impacted by travel disruption, 41% reported incurring unexpected costs paid by them or their companies.

The estimated annual surcharge per UK employee was £383 for unplanned accommodation, £263 for local transportation, £279 for meals and food allowance and £358 for overtime costs.

Additionally, 79% of those affected had to rebook their trip, and they did so at an average of 28% higher cost to their companies. This was was not always covered by their insurance or transport provider.

Crucially, 24% said a travel disruption led to a missed business or sales opportunity in the past year, rising to 29% among C-level executives.

Roy Hefer, CFO at TravelPerk, said: “Travel is not just a line item in the P&L, it is an investment in the company’s future success. As such, it warrants the same thoughtful approach that we would apply to other investment decisions.

“A delay or cancellation doesn’t have to derail an entire trip or drive up costs. Companies that include flexible fares, cancellation cover, and buffer time in their travel policies are far better positioned to boost productivity and ensure return on investment.”

TravelPerk commissioned market research agency OnePoll to survey 7,000 business travelers in the UK (2,000), US (2,000), Germany (1,000), Spain (1,000), and Austria (1,000).

The surveys were conducted online from the 6 to the 18 of August 2025 among employed adults who travel for work at least twice a year and work for companies with more than 50 and less than 20,000 employees.