Hickory Global Partners has announced the most popular cities for domestic and international business travel based on bookings per night through its platform throughout 2023. Hickory has more than 2,500 members across 74 countries and over 51,000 hotel partners.
“Business travel picked up significantly in 2023, which saw the highest level of overnight bookings since the pandemic,” said Chris Dane, president of Hickory. “We expect industry growth to continue as business travel evolves, taking on a new look, including hybrid events and smaller, but more frequent bookings. While it is clear the industry is forever changed, business travel has proven it is here to stay.”
The top 10 cities in the United States for business travel are:
- Houston, TX
- San Diego, CA
- New York, NY
- Chicago, IL
- Atlanta, GA
- Charlotte, NC
- Austin, TX
- Orlando, FL
- San Antonio, TX
- Sacramento, CA
For international business travel, the top 10 cities include:
- London, England
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Tokyo, Japan
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Dubai, U.A.E
- Paris, France
- Singapore, Singapore
- Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Of the 10 domestic cities named, six are in the Southern region, which are ideal locations for travelers who like to make the most out of their business trips and escape colder climates. For instance, after previously ranking at No. 11 in 2022 and at No. 8 in 2023, Orlando experienced a rise in nightly bookings in line with Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort seeing notable growth in visitor numbers over the past year. Also, travel to these locations is usually cheaper. The No. 1 city for business travel, Houston, amassed an average daily rate of spend of $153.91, while New York City, ranked No. 3, had an average spend of $408.19. In addition to being considered an economic innovation hub, Sacramento has seen an influx of people relocating from higher-cost cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco and the lowest daily rate of spend in comparison at $142.28.
As for the 10 international cities, four are in Canada, primarily due to proximity to the United States and the fact that many multinational companies have a significant presence in both the U.S. and Canada. Tokyo, previously ranked at No. 15, experienced over 100 percent growth in business travel bookings as its long-term travel ban was finally lifted in early 2023. Dubai and Singapore experienced significant growth in nights booked, living up to their reputations as economic and innovation centers with world-class infrastructures and business-friendly environments. London remained the most popular international city for business travel in terms of nights booked. It also had the second-highest average daily rate of spend, at $414.67. Meanwhile, nights booked in Paris fell by 6.3 percent, pushing the city to the 10th spot after previously ranking No. 3. This could be due to an increased average rate of spend, now sitting at $431.24.
In 2023, the industry hotel spend surpassed 2019 by 19.6 percent and industry hotel bookings were roughly 96 percent of 2019 levels. Considering the "undeniable growth trajectory," Hickory anticipates 2024 business travel will exceed pre-pandemic levels in all aspects.
For more information, visit www.hickoryglobalpartners.com.
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