Asia Pacific is set to be the world’s largest business-travel market in 2026, according to a new forecast, with the surge seen driven by the region’s expanding manufacturing and trade activity. Spending on corporate trips from the region is expected to reach $701 billion this year — just over 40% of global expenditure, according to trade group, Global Business Travel Association Inc. That represen...
Asia Pacific is set to be the world’s largest business-travel market in 2026, according to a new forecast, with the surge seen driven by the region’s expanding manufacturing and trade activity. Spending on corporate trips from the region is expected to reach $701 billion this year — just over 40% of global expenditure, according to trade group, Global Business Travel Association Inc. That represents a 10.9% year-over-year increase, driven largely by Japan, Korea, and India. Europe is expected to be the second-largest, followed by North America, according to GBTA. “Manufacturing is the largest business-traveling” sector, said Suzanne Neufang , chief executive officer of GBTA. Trade — whether with new partners, old ones or reacquainted partners — “is one of the key drivers for confidence in our sector.” The data highlights a shifting global trade landscape, including efforts by countries such as China to diversify trading relationships amid rising costs and inflation. Despite this momentum, overall travel volumes have yet to recover to pre-Covid levels. China’s domestic business-travel market remains strong,while travel between China and the US also stays robust, driven by continued demand from American consumers for Chinese-manufactured goods, Neufang said. She added that China’s growing green-technology sector is expected to fuel further travel demand, as the country maintains a cost advantage over many competitors. Still, rising travel costs and evolving risk and safety considerations are weighing on sentiment. Geopolitical instability has become the most significant external factor shaping business travel decisions for 2026, with travelers showing reduced confidence and companies facing greater operational complexity, according to GBTA. In the Middle East, daily life and flight operations in hubs such as Dubai and Qatar have largely stabilized. Yet risk-averse corporate policies continue to limit employee travel, as rebuilding trust takes time, Neufang said. Insur...
Munich Re said it has investments of as much as €2.5 billion ($2.9 billion) in private credit, an asset class that has been facing fund redemptions and scrutiny of underwriting standards. Private credit “is about 1% of the asset portfolio of our entire group,” Chief Financial Officer Andrew Buchanan said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. “It is between about €2 billion and €2.5 billion, which for...
Munich Re said it has investments of as much as €2.5 billion ($2.9 billion) in private credit, an asset class that has been facing fund redemptions and scrutiny of underwriting standards. Private credit “is about 1% of the asset portfolio of our entire group,” Chief Financial Officer Andrew Buchanan said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. “It is between about €2 billion and €2.5 billion, which for us is an incredibly digestible amount.” The $1.8 trillion private credit market is witnessing an exodus of investors after some high-profile corporate blowups led to mounting concerns over loan quality and exposure to software firms, whose business models are being threatened by rapid strides in artificial intelligence. Buchanan said Munich Re is investing in the senior secured end of the market, “through very carefully selected funds” that have “strong workout capabilities, should default rates start to tick up.” “In terms of absolute exposure, it is very digestible,” he said. “We are going for the quality assets.”
The France-Africa summit has mobilized deals amounting to 23 billion euros ($27 billion), according to President Emmanuel Macron . That includes 14 billion euros from French companies and 9 billion euros from African entrepreneurs and investors, he said at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi on Tuesday. “This is a big first,” Macron said at the summit that’s brought together more than 30 heads of...
The France-Africa summit has mobilized deals amounting to 23 billion euros ($27 billion), according to President Emmanuel Macron . That includes 14 billion euros from French companies and 9 billion euros from African entrepreneurs and investors, he said at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi on Tuesday. “This is a big first,” Macron said at the summit that’s brought together more than 30 heads of state and about 7,000 delegates including representatives of major French and African companies. “Let’s take a leap together, this is not a top-down agenda from Africa to Europe,” Macron said. “It’s an equal partnership.”