Global Travel Buyer Index (GTBI): Current situation assessed more cautiously - expectation

The GTBI is an industry indicator for tourism purchasing and is based on a quarterly survey of international buyers from the ITB Buyers Circle. The index provides valuable insights into the current market situation and the expectations of tourism buyers and serves as an early indicator for the development of the travel market.

In May 2025, the index shows a more cautious assessment of the current purchasing situation compared to February, while expectations for the coming months remain stable overall.

Current market situation: Purchasing activities show more moderate momentum

52% of respondents report an increase in purchasing volume in the past six months compared to the previous year, while 20% see no change and 29% observe a decline. With regard to the proportion of fixed purchases, 48% reported an increase, 34% a stable development and 18% a decrease. According to 69% of participants, contractual expenditure in purchasing has increased, while 23% report no change and 8% report a decrease.

The Current Situation Index falls to 81 points (February 2025: 94 points).

Future expectations: Predominantly stable to cautiously positive

Expectations in the sector remain positive overall, albeit with somewhat subdued momentum compared to previous quarters. 45% of those surveyed expect purchasing volumes to increase in the coming six months, 49% expect them to remain the same and 5% anticipate a decline. With regard to the proportion of fixed purchases, 40% expect an increase, 53% a stable contract situation and 8% a reduction. With regard to contractual expenses, 63% expect an increase, 33% expect the burden to remain the same and 4% expect a decrease.

The Future Expectation Index stands at 84 points (February 2025: 92 points).

Global Travel Buyer Index

The Global Travel Buyer Index (GTBI)stands at 83 points in May 2025. This continues the slight downward trend from February (93 points). The current results indicate a more cautious assessment of the tourism purchasing market overall, with expectations for the coming months remaining stable.

The GTBI is updated quarterly and provides continuous market monitoring for tour operators, destinations and service providers.

About the sample

In May 2025, a total of 91 tourism buyers took part in the survey. The majority make purchases for the source markets Germany (29%), Europe (43%) and Asia (9%), while the remaining respondents buy for North America, South America, Africa, Oceania or for all source markets equally. Procurement focuses in particular on hotels (87%), DMC services (62%), package tours (51%), activities & events (48%) and transfers (48%).