Like previous years, Paris and London were the most popular European destinations for business travelers from the Benelux. Outside Europe, Singapore and New York are leading the rankings. These are the results for the top 10 most visited business travel destinations that BCD Travel has concluded for 2014.
Contrasts in Southern Europe: Spain is growing, Italy is declining
BCD Travel has based this ranking on the total number of air and train tickets booked in 2014 for foreign trips from Belgium, Luxemburg and the Netherlands. Paris and London are by far the most popular destinations for business travelers from the Benelux. Together they represent 52% of the sold tickets in the top 10. The strongest climber in the top 10 this year is Copenhagen, Milan is declining and Zurich has disappeared from the top 10 for the first time in years. Madrid, as already expected last year, is making a comeback due to the economic recovery.
“Again, no big surprises in our top destinations: Paris, London, Frankfurt and Munich have been consistently in the top four for several years. Italy is declining further due to the weak economy, while Spain is remarkably scoring very well: Madrid and Barcelona are in the top 15, and there are some more Spanish cities in the strongest overall climbers,” says Diederik Banken, Vice President Commercial Benelux at BCD Travel.
| 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
| 1 | Paris | Paris | Paris |
| 2 | London | London | London |
| 3 | Frankfurt | Frankfurt | Frankfurt |
| 4 | Munich | Munich | Munich |
| 5 | Copenhagen | Strasbourg | Milan |
| 6 | Strasbourg | Milan | Zurich |
| 7 | Berlin | Berlin | Berlin |
| 8 | Madrid | Copenhagen | Copenhagen |
| 9 | Geneva | Madrid | Vienna |
| 10 | Milan | Zurich | Strasbourg |
Stability in the Middle-East, Moscow detoriates
The top 10 outside Europe is showing more differences. Singapore and New York remain the most popular, but Dubai is getting closer. It’s remarkable that among the many Eastern cities there’s again a second American destination in the top 10: San Francisco has climbed to the tenth position. The presence of some of the most successful companies in California, which is an important economic region, and the appeal of Silicon Valley with its many startups are an explanation for this.
“It’s not surprising that Singapore has kept its first position: the city is a hub for the entire APAC region and remains a major destination. Dubai and Istanbul are remaining fairly stable: they profit from their position as a gateway to the East. The biggest change in the list concerns Moscow. This destination is hit the hardest, obviously due to the economic sanctions and the difficult economic conditions,” says Diederik Banken. “These trends, both within and outside Europe, confirm that the business travel industry is a reliable reflection of the general economic and political situation”.
| 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
| 1 | Singapore | Singapore | Singapore |
| 2 | New York | New York | New York |
| 3 | Dubai | Istanbul | Istanbul |
| 4 | Istanbul | Moscow | Dubai |
| 5 | Manilla | Dubai | Moscow |
| 6 | Shanghai | Shanghai | Shanghai |
| 7 | Moscow | Manilla | Hong Kong |
| 8 | Mumbai | Hong Kong | Washington |
| 9 | Hong Kong | Mumbai | Bangkok |
| 10 | San Francisco | Bangkok | Beijing |
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