European business travelers traveled to London and New York most frequently in 2018. Chicago showed strongest intercontinental growth, according to BCD Travel’s “2018 Cities & Trends Report”.
Despite the United Kingdom’s Brexit plans, the U.K.’s capital London was able to maintain its pole position, followed by Amsterdam, Vienna, Paris and Zurich.
“Intra-European flights account for almost half of our total bookings in EMEA, with London ranking at the top,” said Stewart Harvey, president for BCD Travel EMEA. “We will continue to keep a close eye on developments regarding Brexit; and will inform travel managers and business travelers about different scenarios and their possible impact on business travel; for example, with respect to freedom of movement, delays, visas and passports, mobile roaming costs and health insurance.”
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Top 10 cities for intercontinental business travel in 2018
| 2018 | |
| 1. | New York |
| 2. | Shanghai |
| 3. | Singapore |
| 4. | Dubai |
| 5. | San Francisco |
| 6. | Beijing |
| 7. | Chicago |
| 8. | Tokyo |
| 9. | Boston |
| 10. | Los Angeles |
New York remained European business travelers’ top destination for intercontinental trips, followed by Shanghai and Singapore. The U.S. accounts for half of the leading intercontinental destinations. The strongest increase in booking volume in 2018 was recorded for Chicago with 7.34% more sold tickets than in 2017. And the city is preparing for even more passenger numbers: Chicago O’Hare International Airport will begin expanding its terminal complex in 2019. Vienna, Chicago and Singapore also rank among the world’s smartest cities.
The top 10 list also includes two Chinese cities: Shanghai and Beijing. This is a result of strong business links with China, which is the EU’s second largest trading partner after the U.S.
Top 3 business travel countries in 2018
| Intra-European | Intercontinental | |
| 1. | United Kingdom | United States |
| 2. | Germany | China |
| 3. | Spain | India |
The U.K. remained the most popular destination country for European business travelers in 2018, followed by Germany and Spain. The U.S., China and India kept their leading ranks as most visited intercontinental destinations.
