When we think about the value of a business trip, we usually think about what it delivers for the company.
A meeting. A new client. A conference. A deal.
But what does that same trip deliver for the city being visited?
New research from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) provides an interesting answer — and the numbers are much bigger than the cost of a flight and hotel.
Across 25 of the world’s leading business destinations, business travellers spent approximately $178 billion in 2024.
That spending ultimately generated an estimated $283 billion in total economic activity, supported 1.4 million jobs and contributed $93 billion to local GDP. GBTA
One Traveller, Many Industries
A business traveller’s economic footprint starts long before they enter the meeting room.
There is the flight.
Then the airport transfer. The hotel. Restaurants. Coffee between meetings. Ground transportation. Conference venues. Event suppliers. Entertainment.
And behind each of those transactions sits another network of businesses, employees and suppliers.
According to GBTA’s research, every $1 spent on business travel generated approximately $1.59 in total local business activity across the cities studied. GBTA
That multiplier effect helps explain why cities around the world compete so intensely for corporate travellers, international conferences and major business events.
They’re not simply competing for visitors.
They’re competing for economic activity.
The World’s Biggest Business Travel Cities
Some destinations stand significantly ahead of the rest.
New York ranked first, attracting $21.2 billion in business travel spending, followed closely by Tokyo at $20.7 billion.
London generated $15 billion, followed by Shanghai at $14.2 billion and Paris at $13.6 billion.
Los Angeles and Chicago also exceeded $10 billion.
Together, just seven cities represented 61% of business travel spending across the 25 destinations studied. GBTA
But perhaps what’s more interesting is what these cities represent.
They are not simply tourism destinations.
They are centres of finance, technology, trade, manufacturing, culture and international business.
And that relationship works both ways.
Business attracts travellers.
But business travellers also help cities grow.
Beyond the Meeting Room
The research included far more than traditional corporate meetings.
It covered travel for sales and customer engagement, conferences and conventions, training, internal meetings, incentives and operational purposes. GBTA
That matters because the modern business trip is becoming increasingly connected to the wider visitor economy.
A traveller may arrive for a two-day conference and stay an additional night.
A company may bring hundreds of employees to a destination for an incentive programme.
An international exhibition can fill hotels, restaurants, transportation services and venues across an entire city.
Business travel therefore doesn’t operate separately from tourism.
It is an important part of it.
Why Cities Want Business Travellers
Tourism strategies often focus heavily on increasing visitor numbers.
But perhaps the more important question is increasingly becoming:
What kind of visitor are you attracting?
Business travellers can bring significant spending while also supporting conferences, events, investment and international commercial relationships.
For destinations, attracting more of them requires more than great hotels.
It requires strong air connectivity, efficient airports, reliable transportation, quality meeting infrastructure and a city capable of supporting international business.
Because the value of a business traveller doesn’t end when the meeting does.
One business trip can move far more than one traveller.
It can move an entire local economy.