Dr. LAW Chi Hang, ColinColinDr. LAW Chi HangLin, EliverEliverLinTan, SeckSeckTan2025-10-092025-10-092024Journal of Tourism, Hospitality, and, Services Industries Research, 2024, vol. 4(2), pp. 68-88.2958-55892958-5570https://journals.iub.edu.pk/index.php/jthsir/article/view/3391/1913http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11861/25882Open accessInternational trade has been critical in supporting a country’s economic growth. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the business environment dramatically. Businesses have replaced real encounters with virtual platforms. Despite the gradual reopening of international borders, some anticipate a reduction in international business travel in the post-pandemic era, while others believe that business travel will never return as businesses adapt to technology, replacing face-to-face meetings. This study aims to determine the factors influencing decision-makers when approving business travel during and after the pandemic era in the Asia-Pacific region. The six factors affecting the holdback force examined include trip alternatives, general risk, client resistance, affordability, convenience, and flight and route risks. A total of 2070 questionnaires were distributed to the corporate travel decision-makers in nine countries in the Asia Pacific region. The empirical results from the structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that client resistance influences the holdback decision forces most. They were followed by flight and en route risk, convenience, trip alternative, affordability, and general risk. The analysis offers insight into the holdback decision factors that force corporate travel decisions in Asia Pacific.enBusiness TravelPost-PandemicPerception RiskStructural Equation ModelingAsia PacificDecision MakersPeer Reviewed Journal Article