Hickory Global Partners, a corporate travel alliance,  announced the most popular cities for domestic and international business travel based on bookings per night through Hickory’s platform throughout 2023.

The top 10 cities in the US for business travel, beginning with the most popular, are: Houston, San Diego, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte, Austin, Orlando, San Antonio and Sacramento.

For international business travel, the top 10 most popular locations are: London, Toronto, Calgary, Montreal, Tokyo, Stockholm, Dubai, Paris, Singapore and Mississauga  (Ontario, Canada.)

Chris Dane, president, said business travel picked up significantly in 2023, which saw the highest level of overnight bookings since the pandemic. He said the network expects 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,” he said, “business travel has proven it is here to stay.”

Of the 10 domestic cities named, six are in the south, which Hickory attributed to weather and costs. The average daily rate of spend in Houston was $153.91, while New York City had an average spend of $408.19. In addition to being considered an economic innovation hub, according to Hickory, Sacramento has seen an influx of people relocating from higher-cost cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco and has a low daily rate of spend of $142.28.

As for the 10 international cities, four are in Canada, primarily due to proximity to the US and the fact that many multinational companies have a significant presence in both countries. Tokyo experienced over 100% growth in business travel bookings as its long-term travel ban 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, according to Hickory.

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