global business travel statistics

Business Travel Statistics [2007-2024]: Market & Trend Data Analysis

Business travel is on the rise. Companies still see it as essential and are willing to spend on in-person collaboration. This report unpacks the findings from our business travel statistics research.

In many industries, travel is a regular necessity for business. Even in the post-COVID age of telecommuting and Zoom meetings, companies are willing to spend significant amounts on travel for in-person collaboration.

Why is this the case? How much is spent on business travel? Where does that money go? What are the trends in the business travel industry? Who travels for business, where are they going, and how long are they staying? These are all key questions for understanding the business travel industry.

I’ve dug deep into data from key sources in the industry, like the Global Business Travel Association, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, and Expedia’s Bleisure Travel Trends Report. After extensive in-depth research, I extracted several key findings.

For decades, business travel looked very much the same. As younger people and women are traveling more for business, and as more people are adding leisure time to their business trips, the landscape of business travel is changing dramatically.

Key Business Travel Statistics

• Over $1 trillion is spent annually on business travel worldwide.
• Business professionals expect 25% more revenue generated from in-person collaboration over virtual meetings.
• China has the highest business travel spending at $360 billion in 2022.
• The largest percentage of business travel spending goes towards lodgings, with meals coming in second.
• The average business traveler is a 42-year-old male, but that is changing as more young people and more women are going on corporate trips than ever before.

Business Travel Spending Statistics

In 2019 (before the pandemic), the business travel industry accounted for $1.4 trillion in global spending. While 2022 spending was still lagging due to pandemic recovery ($1.03 trillion), the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) predicts business travel spending will surpass pre-pandemic levels in 2024 and continue to grow to $1.8 trillion in 2027.

With so much being spent, the business travel market is a significant economic force. Not only does corporate travel inject money into the tourism industry and local economies, it also leads to improved productivity and profits. Even in the world of Zoom and telecommuting, the need for business trips isn’t going away anytime soon.

It’s telling that companies carve out a significant budget for corporate travel spending. Clearly, there is an expected return on investment for companies to be willing to make the spend, especially since the average business trip is often more expensive than leisure travel.

According to the ACCOR Business of Travel Report , business professionals expect 25% more revenue generated from traveling for in-person collaboration over virtual meetings .

It’s worth understanding how much is spent on business travel, where that money goes, and when companies decide business travel is worth it.

Here are the key business travel spending statistics to understand the economic impacts of the business travel industry.

Business Travel Spending by Country

Global business travel spending is highly concentrated in a few countries with industrial economies, with China and the United States far outpacing the rest of the world.

Here are the top 15 countries for business travel spending according to the 2023 Business Travel Index Outlook from the GBTA.

It’s no surprise that, with a few exceptions, these same countries are also the highest ranked for GDP. Interestingly, Russia is the only country in the top ten for GDP that doesn’t appear on this list.

Business travelers are almost universally traveling within or between these 15 countries.

The rest of the world combined only adds $207 billion to the total global business travel spending. As with many other metrics, this shows how much the world’s economic activity and wealth is concentrated within a few regions. These 15 countries make up only about half the global population, but they account for 85% of the global business travel spending.

Business Travel Spending Categories

Business travel can be broken into several spending categories to see where companies are spending the most money. The chart below shows the total 2022 spending across five categories according to the GBTA .

It’s easy to assume that airfare would be the leading expense for business trips. In reality, it’s only third on the list after lodging and meals. Lodging is the largest spending by far for corporate travel, accounting for more than double the amount of any other category.

Business Travel Spending vs Leisure Travel Spending

While business travel is a large industry, leisure travel is even bigger. The table below shows total travel spending divided between business and leisure travel according to Statista .

On average, only 15.2% of travel spending comes from business travel. 84.8% is from leisure travel.

However, that breakdown is not consistent across all travel industries. Hotels, dining, and tourist activities generally make much more money from leisure travelers, but many airlines actually earn a larger percentage of revenue from business travelers.

According to Investopedia , only 12% of airline passengers are business travelers. However, because business travelers pay higher rates, more often book last-minute, and are more likely to fly first class, they can account for up to 75% of airline profits.

While many leisure travelers try to save as much money on airfare as possible, corporations are often more likely to spend extra for upgraded business travel comfort.

Research from Business Traveler found that 33% of international business travel flights are in premium class, and 13% of domestic business travel flights are in premium class.

While leisure travel is significantly larger, business travel spending is still a critical component of the travel industry.

Business Traveler Demographics

Traditionally, the majority of business travelers fit within a very distinct demographic. The average business traveler is a 42-year-old man.

But times are changing. Younger people and women are traveling more for business, and these trends will likely change what business travel looks like in the future.

Here are the key business travel statistics relating to traveler demographics.

Business Traveler Age

Generally, people traveling for business are more likely to be in more advanced roles in their career, and people in leadership roles often travel more than others.

Business Travelers by Age

The vast majority of business travelers are in their 30s and 40s—people who are in the stage of working up the ladder in their career. The average age for business travelers is 42.

However, according to market research by Skift , the average age of business travelers is gradually shifting downward, and more younger people are traveling for work.

This will have dramatic affects on the business travel market, as younger travelers prefer Uber over taxis, vacation rentals over hotels, and are less likely to make booking decisions based on travel loyalty programs.

Business Traveler Gender

Historically, corporate travelers have dominantly been men. A Bureau of Transportation Statistics report found that 77% of business travelers that year were men.

However, that trend is beginning to change. The table below compares 2001 gender breakdown with updated 2022 statistics for business travelers.

Gender Difference in Business Travel Over Time

In 2022, 37% of business trips were made by women. That’s up 14% from the 2021 figures.

As workplaces around the world make slow progress toward gender equality, women will take more business trips than ever before.

Interestingly, while business travelers are much more likely to be men, the opposite is true for leisure travel, according to research by Forbes . The table below shows a comparison of the gender breakdown in business travel and leisure travel.

Gender Difference in Leisure and Business Travel

64% of travelers on leisure trips are women.

The demographics for business and leisure travel are not aligned. Where the average business traveler is a 42-year-old man, the average leisure traveler is a 47-year-old woman.

Clearly, women are more apt to travel than men outside the workplace, and the only reason that men are more likely to travel for work is due to overall gender inequality in business. It will be interesting to see if women surpass men in business travel as companies move towards gender equality in workplaces.

Yearly Business Travel Trends

As with most industries, business travel has been growing steadily. As companies continue to grow globally, international collaboration will become more important, and business travel will become even more essential.

The table below shows the global business travel spending over time from 2007 to 2022 according to Statista .

Prior to COVID-19, the only recent drop in business travel spending occurred in 2009, during the recession. From 2008 to 2009, business travel spending dropped 5.7%.

Over the next 10 years, business travel spending increased by 63% and peaked at $1408 billion in 2019. This progress was followed by a massive drop, as the COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on travel.

From 2019 to 2020, business travel spending dropped 53% due to pandemic travel bans.

While the travel industry as a whole has recovered quickly from the pandemic, business travel has had a slower return to pre-pandemic levels according to Deloitte Insights .

Still, growth is on the way. Global business travel spending is expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels in 2024 and continue to grow.

“Bleisure” Statistics

In recent years there has been an increase in business travelers participating in leisure activities or asking to add extra time to their business trips to enjoy free time at their destination. This growing form of business tourism has earned the nickname “bleisure.”

Bleisure trips should become a more important consideration for corporate travel managers when designing a company’s travel policy. When business travelers spend more time as tourists at their destination, they are more likely to see corporate trips as a perk of their job rather than a burden.

The Expedia Group conducted a survey of over 2,500 bleisure travelers worldwide , and I’ve unpacked the key statistics from their report that you need to know.

Bleisure Trip Length

Since bleisure involves combining tourism, downtime, and relaxation with business travel, no two trips are the same. There are definite trends in the bleisure market though.

The first important trend is that bleisure is becoming increasingly popular. On average, 60% of business trips include time added on for leisure.

The length of a business trip is important for travelers deciding whether to add on leisure time to corporate travel. The table below shows a breakdown of bleisure travelers based on the length of stay for business.

Business Trip Length

The large majority of business trips that turn into bleisure trips are 2 or 3 nights . 50% of survey respondents said they were most likely to extend business travel for leisure if they had to stay 2-3 nights. This time only includes the business travel portion of the trip, and most people adding leisure time into a trip will spend several extra days.

When adding leisure onto corporate travel, people spend 3.9 working days and 2.9 leisure days on average. That means leisure time can nearly double the length of a trip.

Bleisure Travel Destination Statistics

International business trips and domestic business trips are equally likely to become bleisure travel. 51% of domestic business trips are bleisure trips, and 52% of international trips include bleisure.

The destination also matters for business travelers when considering adding leisure time to corporate travel. The table below shows the top features of a destination that make a business traveler more likely to add leisure time to their trip.

Bleisure Destination Priorities

According to this research from Expedia Business Group, good food, beaches, natural sightseeing, and good weather are the top considerations that make for a popular bleisure destination.

Bleisure Traveler Statistics

The number of business travelers including leisure in business trips varies by profession. The table below shows the top five occupation categories for bleisure travel.

Bleisure Traveler Occupations

By far the most bleisure travelers work in technology, IT, or software . In general, technology workers travel more than most other professions, which is a key reason for why technology workers are more likely to include leisure time in their travels.

Another way to characterize bleisure travelers is by how frequently they leave on business travel.

Business Trip Frequency of Bleisure Travelers

Most business travelers adding leisure to a corporate trip are those who take business trips every 2-3 months. The average bleisure traveler takes 6.4 business trips each year .

Sources and Methodology

This report is based on a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of business travel spending, demographics, geographic trends, and yearly trends. I gathered this data from market research firms, academic studies, and government agencies.

The GBTA 2023 Business Travel Index Outlook , ACCOR Business of Travel Report , and Expedia’s Bleisure Travel Trends Report were key sources of information for understanding the landscape of business travel and the trends in the industry.

Other key sources for the business travel trends and demographics in this report include the Global Business Travel Association , Bureau of Transportation Statistics , Statista , Forbes , Business Traveler , and Investopedia . Any sources not included here are cited directly in the text.

There is a tremendous amount of information and data available across these sources, but it is disjointed and often difficult to interpret. I compiled raw data and individual findings from these sources into a single cohesive resource.

I used this wide range of information to generate the tables, graphs, and statistics in this report.

Final Business Travel Findings

Travel is a key part of many businesses. It drives innovation, improves productivity, and increases profits. While COVID-19 created a temporary pause, business travel is back, and will only be growing.

Business travel only accounts for about 15% of total global travel spending, but it is a key market segment for many industries, especially airlines. Business travelers are more likely to fly premium class and spend more on travel overall.

There are also several key factors driving change in the business travel industry. Business travel has traditionally been a male-dominated activity, but more and more women are traveling for business. Younger people are also traveling more for business than ever before. More people are creating “bleisure” trips by adding extra days for leisure onto business trips.

If companies can latch onto these trends and create supportive and inclusive travel policies, business travel can become both more profitable to companies and more rewarding for travelers.

Business Travel Statistics FAQs

Is business travel increasing.

While business travel still hasn’t recovered to pre-pandemic levels, it is steadily increasing.

What percentage of flights are business travel?

On average, around 12% of the passengers on a flight are traveling for business.

How big is the business travel market?

In 2022, the business travel industry accounted for $1 trillion in spending globally.

What companies spend the most on business travel?

Amazon is the company that spends the most on business travel.

Which industries have the most business travel?

Tech and IT industries have the most business travel.

Jakob Thygerson

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105 Critical Business Travel Statistics: 2024 Spending & Concerns Analysis

Technology may have opened up new ways for individuals to connect, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic where face-to-face communication can become a health risk. This is why business travel remains important for modern companies. If you want to make the most out of your corporate trips, being knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the industry is important. This is where checking business travel statistics becomes necessary.

In this article, we will be discussing everything from the market size of the business travel industry to the use of budgeting software for corporate travel. Furthermore, we have provided some data on emerging business travel technologies. This way, it would be easier to understand how to manage your company trips better as well as prepare yourself for the shifting demands of the industry. 

Business Travel Statistics Table of Contents

• General Business Travel Statistics
• Business Travel Spending Statistics
• Statistics on Business Travel Benefits
• Business Travel Experience Statistics
• Bleisure Statistics
• Statistics on the Modern Business Traveler
• Business Travel Policy Statistics
• Statistics on Business Travel Concerns
• Business Travel Tech Usage Statistics
• Impact of COVID-19 on Business Travel

1. General Business Travel Statistics

Corporate trips may have become more and more prevalent over the years, thanks to the increasingly globalized business landscape. So much so that millions of business travel initiatives are launched each year. However, with the current pandemic, business travel has come to a halt and it is not expected to recover until 2027.

• There are 445 million business trips every year. (Certify, n. d.)
• Business travelers make up 12% of an airline’s passengers, but they represent 75% of the profit. (Investopedia, 2020)
• The global market for business travel is projected to decline by 4.5% in 2021. (ReportLinker, 2020)
• It won’t be until 2027 that the global market for business travel is expected to recover, at which point it is expected to reach US$829.5 billion. (ReportLinker, 2020)
• The global market for business travel is expected to post a CAGR of 3% from 2020 to 2027. (ReportLinker, 2020)

Breakdown of Corporate Travel Across the Globe

Companies across the globe understand how important it is to invest in corporate travel. With companies spending an average of $799 per person per day, the business travel market has surely enjoyed the growth in revenue in the past years. Unfortunately, however, when the pandemic hit, many countries experienced huge losses in business travel spending.

• China lost $404 billion in business travel spend losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest amount among member countries of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). (GBTA, 2020)
• The second most affected region was Europe, which amassed $190.5 billion in business travel spend losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The third most affected region was Asia-Pacific, excluding China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, with losses amounting to $120.2 billion. (GBTA, 2020)
• The most expensive business travel location in Asia is Hong Kong, with an average cost of $515 per day. (ECA International, 2019)

Business Trips in the US

American companies are one of the top spenders when it comes to business travel. Simply put, many US companies spend to send their employees on domestic and international trips for business purposes. However, much like the rest of the globe, they are also expected to decrease the number of international business trips in the coming years.

• In a survey, 45% of respondents said that their company canceled most international business trips to the U.S. as a result of the pandemic. (GBTA Coronavirus Poll/Statista, 2020)
• U.S. airlines reported a 90% reduction in business travel in Q2 2020. (Spendesk, 2019)
• The reduction in travel spending resulted in a loss of $162 billion for the U.S. economy in 2020. (U.S. Travel Association, 2020)

2. Business Travel Spending Statistics

It’s no secret that corporate travel is expensive. As you’ll see in the data below, companies spend millions of dollars per year on sending their employees on business trips. To ensure steady business travel funding, you should plan and create a budget for it ahead of time, taking into consideration not only accommodation and airfare but also looking into vaccination expenses for employees. This way, they may avoid the risk of contracting coronavirus while they’re traveling. Moreover, you should keep all travel costs in check. For this, you might find that using tools for budgeting can be useful for your company.

• Global business travel decreased by more than half in 2020 to $694 billion. (PhocusWire, 2021)
• Corporate travel spending is expected to lose $820 billion as a result of the pandemic. (CNBC, 2020)
• As of September 2020, China’s number of domestic passengers reached Corporate travel spending 98% of 2019 levels. (Skift, 2020)
• The average daily cost of business travel in the US is $325 per day. (Small Biz Genius, 2021)
• Businesses spend roughly $1,425 for every employee they send on a business trip. (Fyle, 2020)
• Companies spend $111.7 billion on business travel every year. This is an average of $1,286 per work trip. (Travel Pulse, 2020)
• Businesses spend $31.6 billion on international travel. This is an average of $2,600 per person. (Certify)
• The average business travel budget consists of money for lodging (34%), airfare (27%), meals (20%), and car rentals (19%). (Travel Pulse, 2020)

Air Travel Expenditures

If your company is affiliated with businesses located halfway across the globe or on the other side of the country, then spending on air travel is inevitable. So, you should prepare a good chunk of your budget for airfares, especially considering flight tickets and miscellaneous spending at airports are increasingly expensive. You might also want to time your booking so you can get tickets at lower rates.

• The average domestic airfare in the US is $392. (Business Insider, 2019)
• The average cost of coach airfare for international flights is $1216. (Certify)
• Domestic flights in the U.S. are 41% lower on average because of the COVID-19 pandemic. (CNBC, 2020)
• Booking flights 169 to 319 days in advance allows you to fly at the time you prefer and get the seats that you want. (CheapAir, 2018)
• The prime booking window is 21 to 121 days in advance of your preferred flight. The fares are the lowest during this time. (CheapAir, 2018)
• The most costly airports based on lunch, taxi, executive lounge, and parking expenses are London Stansted (£608.29), Amsterdam (£567.35), and London Gatwick (£520.53). (FairFX Blog, 2018)
• The airports that give business travelers the most value for their money based on lunch, taxi, executive lounge, and parking expenses are Barcelona (£236.36), Belfast International (£228.28), and Beijing (£170,03). (FairFX Blog, 2018)
• 70% of corporate travelers said that their most important consideration in booking airline tickets after COVID-19 is flexibility in cancellation and changing ticket conditions. This is followed by special measures to ensure onboard hygiene (63%), availability of direct flights (61%), and sanitation levels of aircraft between flights. (Skift Research & McKinsey, 2020)

Road Transportation Costs

More often than not, business travelers still need to go from one place to another upon reaching their destinations. So, it makes sense for them to spend on road transportation. For domestic trips just outside of the city, this might involve gas money for their personal vehicles. In case they have to go farther away, they will need to allocate a budget for car rental. There might also be those who opt to use ride-sharing applications during the trip, although this may not be as popular an option amid the pandemic.

• Three-fourths of business trips are less than 250 miles from the point of their departure. (U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2017)
• Personal cars are often utilized for 81% of business trips. (U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2017)
• New demand for road trip travel has led car rental rates in the U.S. to decrease by approximately 15% in 2020. (CheapCarRental, 2020)
• 65% of users stopped using ridesharing services in the U.S. due to the COVID-19 outbreak. (Statista, 2020)

Accommodation and Other Expenses

Business travelers require accommodations that are affordable, secure, and trustworthy. What’s more, staying at a place where they have access to conveniences such as workstations and free WiFi can ensure their productivity while on the go. Plus, with the current pandemic, it is also important to consider what hygiene protocols your intended accommodation implements to ensure the safety of your employees. This is why many companies are willing to spend more on hotel rooms and Airbnb accommodations.

• 40% of hotel guests are business travelers. (American Hotel & Lodging Corporation, 2015)
• In 2020, the average hotel room price dropped significantly by 32% to $186 per night compared to $274 per night in 2019. (NerdWallet, 2020)
• Tech companies prefer Airbnb accommodations. In fact, their bookings have doubled from 2017 to 2018. (TravelPerk)
• In 2018, more than 700,000 businesses utilized Airbnb for Work for their corporate trips. (PhocusWire, 2018)
• For the fiscal year 2020, the IRS has set the per-diem business travel rates for meals and incidental expenses at $71. (Maxwell, Locke & Ritter, 2020)
• When it comes to accommodations, business travelers pay attention to quality (44%), trustworthiness (38%), convenience (40%), quietness (30%), affordability (28%), and coziness (28%). (CWT Research, 2019)

How do businesses spend on travel?

A breakdown of the average corporate trip budget.

Car rentals

Source: Travel Pulse

Top Budgeting Software

• Freshbooks. This budgeting and accounting software is popular among businesses of all sizes. Learn more about its features like expense tracking, automatic vendor profile creation, sales tax, project overviews, and many more here in our Freshbooks review .
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• FreeAgent. This powerful online budgeting and accounting tool sports tax management, invoice management, expense management, and payment gateway integrations. See why freelancers and small businesses love this platform here in our FreeAgent review .

3. Statistics on Business Travel Benefits

Many companies may think that business travel is passé or that it is a waste of money. However, statistics show that this is most certainly not the case. Corporate trips actually allow businesses to foster stronger and more close-knit relationships with potential clients and partners. Thus, they yield a good ROI for their business travel initiatives and even grow their company at a faster pace. In addition, even amid a pandemic, many professionals cite business travel as a job perk.

• 90.6% of corporate travel managers believe that business travel is crucial to company growth. (Skift + TripActions Business Travel Survey, 2019)
• On the other hand, 91.3% of business travelers said that business travel is crucial to company growth. (Skift + TripActions Business Travel Survey, 2019)
• Companies get a $2.90 increase in profit and a $9.50 increase in revenue for every dollar spent on corporate travel. (Certify)
• 79% of employees say that business travel experience has an impact on their overall job satisfaction. (Global Business Travel Association, 2017)
• 83% of employees say that business travel is a job perk. (Stratos Jet Charters, Inc., 2020)

4. Business Travel Experience Statistics

Corporate travelers are consumers. So, in a similar light as your typical shopper, they expect personalized experiences when it comes to traveling. In fact, they are more than willing to provide their preferences and personal information if it means travel agencies and airline companies will provide them with better products and services. In addition to these, modern business travelers also don’t mind paying extra out of their pocket for upgrades on accommodations and transportation.

• Nine in 10 corporate travelers will share their travel preferences for a customized experience. (CWT Research, 2019)
• 65% of travelers are willing to provide additional personal information to accelerate processing at the airport. (International Air Transport Association, 2018)
• 22% of frequent travelers want travel companies to remember their personal data. (Accenture, 2017)
• 67% of modern travelers expect brands to help them make good travel decisions based on previous travel information. (Accenture, 2017)
• 55% of business travelers are willing to pay out of their own pocket to get upgrades for accommodations, car rentals, and airline seats. (AeroLatinNews, 2018)

Improving the Experience of Corporate Travelers

Business travel may not be as prevalent now. But this pause makes it the perfect time to ask, how can you improve the overall business travel experience? Now that we know corporate travel anchors on personalization and convenience, it is important to utilize the available technologies to enhance the travel management process.

Moreover, travel managers should actively measure the satisfaction of business travelers to determine any other points for improvement. To do this, you might want to consider utilizing best-in-class business intelligence platforms or top-rated data analytics software .

• Travelers say that their experience can be improved using real-time and accurate travel notifications (55%) and automatic flight rebooking (53%). (International Air Transport Association, 2019)
• A business travel report revealed that 79% of business travel managers say that partnering with travel management companies can lead to more efficient processes and higher savings. (Egencia, 2018)
• 80% of corporate travel managers say that having a system of measurement can benefit corporate travel initiatives. (ACTE, 2018)
• 98% of corporate travel managers say that the most important metrics to measure are traveler satisfaction, policy compliance, and savings and expenditures. These are followed by booking statistics (96%) and traveler engagement (90%). (ACTE, 2018)

Points for Improvement for Airlines, According to Passengers

5. bleisure statistics.

“Work hard, play hard” is the mantra of modern businessmen and corporate employees. So, before 2020, it was not surprising that employees have made it a point to extend their trip for leisure or, at the very least, allocate time for fun activities during a trip. While this may not be a possibility with the ongoing pandemic, it is certainly a trend that companies should anticipate as travel restrictions and quarantine protocols relax. After all, it will allow your company to reinforce work-life balance for employees.

One thing to note about bleisure, however, is that this may also pose problems for companies when it comes to accountability and productivity. After all, administrators don’t know how their business travelers will spend their time during a trip. In case you feel like this might be an issue for you, you can always opt to use time tracking software solutions. Using these, business travelers may log their productive hours even while away from the office.

• Bleisure trips have increased by 20% between 2016 and 2017. (Forbes, 2018)
• Business travelers enjoy exploring new places and cultures (41%) more than meeting with clients and teams (17%). (Medium, 2017)
• 80% of corporate travelers make sure to squeeze in fun activities while on a business trip. (National Car Rental, 2018)
• Almost half of the corporate trips (40%) are extended for leisure. (Expedia Group, 2016)

Employee Expectations on Bleisure

Nowadays, business travelers are not shy about taking some time off while on a trip. After all, they deserve to have a bit of fun after working long hours out of the office. This is why they expect companies to cover bleisure in their travel policies.

• 82% of travelers expect support from their superiors when taking a break on business trips. (National Car Rental, 2018)
• Employees want their companies to consider bleisure for their travel policy. This means including a budget for extracurriculars (74%) and giving them the option to bring a guest on the trip (38%). Moreover, they want to be provided with the flexibility to extend their trips for leisure (34%) and given a budget for exercise and similar lifestyle activities during the trip (24%). (National Car Rental, 2018)
• 37% said that leisure activities should have an equal length as business activities during a corporate trip. (Expedia Group Media Solutions, 2016)

6. Statistics on the Modern Business Traveler

So, who is the modern corporate traveler? Statistics show that these travelers are mostly college-educated males who are older than 45 years old. They go on trips to attend conferences, build business partnerships, develop their careers, and find investors. Moreover, a handful of them spends a good fraction of their year traveling for business purposes.

• Two-thirds of corporate travelers have a bachelor’s degree. Moreover, they have an average household income of $82,000. (PhocusWire, 2017)
• 60% of business travelers are male. Meanwhile, 50% are older than 45 years old. (PhocusWire, 2017)
• Employees go on business trips to attend conferences (62%), to meet with other companies for business planning (56%), for professional development (44%), to meet with coworkers in a different location (40%), and to pitch new products (30%). (Skift, 2016)
• The top 10% of business travelers spend an average of 88 nights away from their homes per year. (Corporate Traveler, 2017)
• 50% of business travelers from Europe go on trips alone. (Fly Aeolus, 2017)

The Millennial Business Traveler

Millennials are poised to comprise the majority of the workforce in the coming years. So, it only makes sense that we tackle how millennial employees view business travel and how they travel for business.

In the statistics we’ve culled, millennials see being sent on corporate trips as a job perk than an inconvenience. So much so that they even create reasons to travel for business. In fact, as of 2016, this generation has become the most active business travelers.

Another thing that sets them apart from previous generations is that while they prioritize cost-efficiency by avoiding expensive hotels and flights, they have a penchant for bleisure. This means they make it a point to balance each trip for both business and leisure.

• 65% of business travelers who are millennials view corporate trips as a status symbol. (Forbes, 2018)
• 56% of millennials create reasons to go on business trips. Moreover, 69% of them want to extend their trip for leisure. (Forbes, 2018)
• Millennials go on 7.4 trips every year. (Skift, 2016)
• Millennial business travelers in the tech industry prioritize cost-efficiency by opting for non-chain hotels. Also, 85% of them booked budget flights instead of choosing business class seats. (TravelPerk)
• 78% of Millennials intentionally make time for leisure on business trips. (Business Wire, 2016)

Why Do Employees Go On Business Trips?

To attend conferences

To meet with other companies for business planning

For professional development

To meet with coworkers in a different location

To pitch new products

Source: Skift

7. Business Travel Policy Statistics

Business travelers represent your company. So, how they travel must be in line with your business values. This is why it is pertinent to have a corporate travel policy.

With this, you can set standards as to where they should stay, which airlines to pick, what car rentals to choose. It also allows you to set rules around what gifts may be purchased during the trip. In addition, travel policies can serve as a guideline for on-site spending.

However, not every company and business traveler realizes the value of a travel policy. So, many opt not to create one.

If you don’t have one, you might want to find a good travel management software to do it. As an alternative, you may also utilize reliable business process management solutions .

• A business travel market report revealed that 40% of businesses still don’t have a travel policy. (Egencia, 2018)
• 60% of corporate travelers say they don’t understand the need for a company travel policy. (TravelPerk, 2019)
• Companies allow more than half of business travelers to book their trips however they prefer. (Egencia, 2018)
• The factors that have a negative impact on business travel are the lack of formal processes and outdated booking systems. (Medium, 2017)

Corporate Travel Management Problems

Of course, simply having a travel policy is not a surefire way to maximize corporate trips. Its positive effect on your business travel processes depends on how you implement it. As you’ll see in the business travel statistics below, companies with travel policies encounter their fair share of problems.

Many of them have travel policies that are not in line with their company culture. Furthermore, not all of them can manage their policies effectively. Lastly, they have many employees who choose not to comply with the policy they have in place.

• 27% of business travelers say that their company’s travel policy is ill-managed. (Medium, 2017)
• 52% of employees say that their company’s travel policy only moderately aligns with their company culture. (Medium, 2017)
• 69% of business travelers comply with corporate travel policies. (Lola.com, 2019)
• Business travelers often book accommodations out-of-policy because they are not close enough to the destination (37%) or because they found a better hotel within their per diem (37%). (Egencia, 2018)

8. Statistics on Business Travel Concerns

While there may be quite a lot of tools that you can use to optimize the business travel experience, the industry still has a long way to go. What’s more, with the pandemic, corporate travelers today are poised to encounter more obstacles and concerns that may impede them from being the most efficient they can be. For example, many of them still need to deal with delayed flights, long waiting times at the airport, as well as the hassle of lengthy security and safety processes.

• The most common issues that business travelers face are flight delays (65.7%), flight cancellations (31.9%), and paying for travel expenses with a personal credit card (30.5%). These were followed by their company’s tool not having the best booking rates (29.3%) and lack of support in resolving issues while traveling (23%). (Skift + TripActions Business Travel Survey, 2020)
• The most tiring aspects of business travel are the waiting time (27%) and having no direct flights (25%). In addition, travelers feel that the ride to and from the airport (22%), early or late departures/arrivals (16%), and the flight itself (10%) are also exhausting. (Fly Aeolous, 2017)
• The longest waiting times for security screening at US Airports in 2019 are Newark Liberty International, NJ (23.1 minutes), George Bush International, TX (19.8 minutes), Miami International, FL (19.6 minutes), and Baltimore-Washington International (18.2 minutes). (Statista, 2019)

Source: Statista

9. Business Travel Tech Usage Statistics

Corporate travelers are a tech-savvy bunch. They rely heavily on the internet and their smartphones to manage their trips. Moreover, they have quite a knack for learning new technology. As a result, they have high expectations for their companies, travel agencies, airline companies, and similar firms when it comes to innovation.

For example, they want to have access to all-in-one applications that will help them consolidate and accelerate the travel planning process. In addition, they are looking forward to having voice-activated assistants for travel queries. As you’ll see below, these are only a few of the many things that they are expecting from the industry.

• 51% of passengers around the world used a smartphone or other device to check in online. (IATA, 2019)
• 27% of global passengers use an airline app to make last-minute purchases such as an additional bag, upgrade, or lounge access. (IATA, 2019)
• The majority of modern travelers (57%) want to have a single application to manage their planning and booking needs. (Booking.com, 2018)
• 57% of travelers want to have a mobile app that will let them track their luggage in real-time. (Booking.com, 2018)
• 31% of travelers say they like the idea of using voice-activated assistants for their travel queries. (Booking.com, 2018)

FinTech Options for Business Travel

Traveling involves quite a lot of expenditures. Therefore, corporate travelers make a large number of transactions that need to be accounted for after each trip. However, manually tracking spending during a trip can be tedious and prone to errors.

As a result, many travelers are now relying on financial technology, such as expense management software and cashless transactions. These allow them to record their expenditures as they go and make sure that they remain within budget. With these, it is easier for companies to maximize their travel budget down to the last penny.

• It takes an average of 40 hours per month for business travelers to reconcile their expenses and payment data. (Egencia, 2018)
• 66.5% of companies use an online expense reporting platform with a mobile solution. (Business Travel News, 2020)
• In light of the pandemic, 55.7% of corporate travel managers say that contactless payments have become a higher priority for their travel program. (Business Travel News, 2020)
• 51% of corporate travelers believe that all business trip payments will be made via mobile devices in a few years. (Business Travel News Europe, 2017)

The Decline of Ride-Hailing Apps

Ride-sharing apps are undoubtedly cheaper and more convenient alternatives than car rental and chauffeur services. However, with the current pandemic, it seems less and less business travelers are willing to leverage them due to the risk of contracting the virus.

• Ride-hailing companies make up 70.5% of all ground transportation receipts for business trips. (USA Today, 2018)
• Usage of ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft dropped between 70% to 80% due to travel reductions brought about by the pandemic. (Forbes, 2020)
• 39% of U.S. consumers who previously used ride-sharing plan to lessen their use of these services. (CarGurus, 2020)
• However, the total number of ride-sharing services are expected to reach 71.3 million users in 2021. (eMarketer, 2020)

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Tech

Business travelers, while often trained to deal with unforeseen circumstances, want to come prepared. That is to say; they like visualizing how their travel plans are going to pan out well before the actual trip. To do this, they must familiarize themselves with their destination.

This is where augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) comes in. These technologies will allow them to get the lay of the land. So, it is easier to map out their itineraries and manage expectations for the trip. For more information about this tech, be sure to check out our list of VR statistics for 2019 .

• Business travel data reveals that 1 in 5 travelers want to use AR so that it is easy to check out their destination before a trip. (Booking.com, 2018)
• 81% of business travelers expect hotels to use virtual, reception-free check-in processes in the future. Meanwhile, 79% predict that using VR tech for accommodations will become the norm in the next 10 years. (Business Travel News Europe, 2017)

Artificial Intelligence

In a similar vein as practically every other industry, business travel is also being reshaped by artificial intelligence (AI). Many travel companies, managers, and corporate travelers rely on this tech to make their trips much more efficient. As you’ll see below, they find this very useful when it comes to monitoring employees as well as finding travel suggestions for planning.

• The majority of corporate travel managers (82%) say that the use of AI for business travel is “very useful” or somewhat useful.” (Skift, 2018)
• 55% of business travelers say they will allow employers to use GPS tracking to monitor their location during out-of-town trips. (Travelport, 2018)
• 41% expect travel brands to use AI to provide them with significant travel suggestions. (Booking.com, 2018)

If you are looking for emerging trends in AI usage, we also have this list of AI statistics that you might find handy.

10. Impact of COVID-19 on Business Travel

With lockdowns and travel restrictions, COVID-19 has turned the business travel sector upside-down. Even as vaccination programs offer a glimmer of hope that business will resume soon, companies still worry about their liabilities for employees who travel without getting vaccinated.

• At the outset of the pandemic, 98% of member countries of the Global Business Travel Association canceled international business tours, while 92% canceled all or most of their business trips. (GlobeNewswire, 2020)
• International business travel experienced a sharp decline of -70% in 2020. (U.S. Travel Association, 2021)
• In a survey, 24% of respondents said that their company is considering returning to domestic travel in one to three months. (Global Business Travel Association, 2020)
• On the other hand, only 6% of respondents said that their company is considering returning to international business travel in one to three months. (Global Business Travel Association, 2020)
• 57% of business travelers are considering taking a trip in the next six months. However, corporate travel and meeting planners are concerned with their liability if employees travel without being vaccinated. (MMGY Global, 2020)
• Only 6% of people miss traveling for business, compared to 48% who miss travel to spend time with loved ones. (Airbnb, 2021)
• Moreover, as of December 2020, 21% of travel managers report that they are not willing to travel for work. (Global Business Travel Association, 2020)
• When the pandemic is over, 36% of people expect to travel less for work compared to pre-COVID conditions. (Airbnb, 2021)

Source: GBTA 2020

What Do These Business Travel Facts Mean for Your Company?

The pandemic has changed not only the number of flights worldwide but also the entire face of business travel. But with some signs of bouncing back in the years to come, it is hoped that things will soon be better for one of the industries that were deeply hit by the pandemic. Until then, it is important for companies to find ways on how to carry out business travel in these challenging times.

After all, while it may be convenient to connect with people using video conferencing and similar modes of communication, we have to admit that these are not enough. Getting your message across to customers, colleagues, and potential partners is only half the purpose of these business interactions. If you truly want to build rapport, develop trust, and ensure coordination. Undoubtedly, face-to-face meetings are still the way to go. This is why business travel remains a crucial part of many industries.

As you have already read in our article, corporate travel is expensive, and it is getting more so every year. However, when these are planned thoroughly and executed properly, you can open more opportunities for your company. It can even help you attract the best talents for your company.

Just be sure to take the time to understand the needs of your business travelers. This way, you can have a better idea of how you can improve the experience for them and maximize their participation in each trip.

To sum up, we hope that our list of business travel statistics was able to help you get a better idea of the state of the industry as well as where it is headed. With this data, preparing for future business travel efforts should be much simpler.

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• Dec 21, 2022

2023 Outlook: Business Travel Bounces Back

Corporate travel budgets are recovering to pre-covid levels, our new survey finds. see where companies are spending in the year ahead..

After grinding to a near halt during the COVID-19 pandemic, business trips—and profits for hotels and airlines catering to higher-paying corporate clients—are bouncing back even beyond pre-pandemic levels, per a recent survey from Morgan Stanley Research.

Despite higher airfares and room rates, the survey of 100 global corporate travel managers found that many respondents believe their company's travel expenditures are already back to pre-pandemic levels and will continue to grow. The biggest demand is coming from small companies, which means lower-cost airlines may benefit the more than their bigger peers.

“Travel budgets are expected to see a noticeable improvement in 2022, with 2023 nearly back to ‘normal,’” says Ravi Shanker, an equity analyst covering North American transportation.  “Most interesting is that nearly half of the respondents expect 2023 budgets to increase versus 2019 overall. And of those that expect an increase in budgets, the majority believe 2023 budgets will be between 6% to 10% higher than 2019.”

Overall travel budgets show an improvement over previous surveys, with 2023 budgets expected to be 98% of 2019 levels on average.

Survey Highlights

•   Smaller companies lead demand for corporate travel. More than two-thirds (68%) of companies with under $1 billion in annual revenue expect travel budgets to increase next year, versus just 41% of companies with annual revenues over $16 billion. Similarly, 32% of smaller companies said travel budgets had returned to pre-pandemic levels compared with 23% of big firms. “This trend could likely favor low-cost carriers, as smaller enterprises tend to be more localized and require less long-haul travel,” says Shanker. “However, the legacy carriers with strong corporate exposure should see gains as well.”  

Nearly a quarter of both large and small companies say their firms are already back to pre-COVID travel levels, and 34% anticipate a full recovery by the end of 2023.

ESG Rate of Change

Holiday budgets hit by inflation, seeing a peak for food prices.

•   Airfares are higher, but that’s not a drag on bookings. On average, corporate airfares are expected to be about 9% higher than pre-pandemic prices. “Clearly the expected increase in corporate airfares is not having a major impact on corporate travel as passenger volume is expected to be basically flat versus 2019,” says Shanker.
• Room rates will continue to rise, though not as fast as they have recently. As of this October, market room rates had spiked 20% to 25% over 2019. Next year they will rise even more, though by an average of just 8%, say respondents (9% in the U.S. and U.K.; 5% to 6% in Latin America, Asia and Africa).
• Hotels face economic and competitive headwinds. While overall travel budgets are growing, companies are cutting costs by trading down when it comes to accommodations. (Historically, budget hotels outperform upscale lodging in tough economic times.) Alternative sources of accommodation also threaten traditional hotels, with 31% of respondents saying they intend to use short-term rental services in the next year.
• Virtual meetings aren’t going away.  Almost 18% of corporate travel will be replaced with virtual meetings, falling slightly to 17% in 2024, suggesting a degree of permanence in the shift with companies recognizing the benefits of virtual meetings ranging from cost savings to lower carbon footprints. Expect companies providing collaboration software to gain from this shift.

For more Morgan Stanley Research insights and analysis on global travel, ask your Morgan Stanley representative or Financial Advisor for the full reports, “Global Corporate Travel Survey: Snapping Back" (Nov. 8, 2022) and “Global Corporate Travel Survey: 2023 Travel Budgets Nearly Back to 2019 Levels, but ~20% of Meetings Could Still Shift to Virtual” (Nov. 8. 2022). Morgan Stanley Research clients can access the reports directly here and here . Plus more Ideas from Morgan Stanley’s thought leaders.

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42 Business Travel Statistics That Will Inspire You to Hit the Road

By Danica Jovic

February 6, 2024

People enjoy traveling. Indeed, they like it so much that most don’t care if they need to send a few emails, attend meetings, or listen to seminars during their trip. Work hard, play hard – that’s the motto of business travelers, who are happy to endure a morning full of meetings if it means they can spend the afternoon sipping margaritas in the sun.

Business travel statistics show that about 30% of job seekers are ready to accept lower-paid jobs if they include business trips. Companies are aware that employees enjoy these “bleisure” trips, and are in many cases willing to make them more comfortable with a lot of money for travel spending, accommodation, meals, and transportation. We’ve compiled the following stats and facts to show just how popular business travel has become.

Editor’s Choice: Business Travel Statistics

• Global business travel statistics from 2017 show that during that year, $1.33 trillion was spent on business travel worldwide.
• Globally, annual business travel costs are expected to amount to $1.7 trillion by 2022.

According to the Global Business Travel Association, 1.3 million business trips are taken in the US every day.

• Almost 10% of business trips can be categorized as “bleisure” trips.

Although business travel is on the rise, only 60% of companies actually have a corporate travel policy.

General business travel statistics.

Even though we live in a telecommunication-dominated era, face-to-face business meetings are still essential for building stable and continuous relationships with clients. No matter how easy it is for workers to make a conference call, communicate with colleagues via Skype, or attend a webinar from the comfort of your own office, companies still organize business trips for employees. In fact, the business travel economy has grown rapidly since the Great Recession, with spending reaching $1.6. trillion in 2020.

The latest US business travel statistics show that US travelers took over 463 million business trips inside the US in 2018.

While business travelers account for only 12% of flight tickets, they generate roughly twice as much money per person for airlines as non-business customers..

(Investopedia)

Global business travel statistics from 2017 show that $1.33 trillion was spent on business travel worldwide during that calendar year.

(Global Business Travel Association)

Annual global business travel costs are set to rise to $1.7 trillion by 2022, according to what was then the National Business Travel Association.

Two-thirds of business travelers believe it’s difficult to build a working relationship via video calls..

(Skift and TripActions)

Global Business Travel Statistics

International business travel statistics show that the US and China are the global leaders when it comes to business travel spending, followed by India, Indonesia, and Sweden. You probably won’t be surprised to learn that the most expensive cities for taking business trips are New York and the two largest Swiss cities: Zurich and Geneva. However, while most countries are spending more on business travel, the UK is going backward; there was a 3% decline in outbound business trips in 2018 due to concerns about Brexit.

China has the largest business travel market, with total spending amounting to $346.5 billion in 2017.

India (11.3%) and indonesia (8.7%) are the two countries with the fastest-growing business travel markets., new york city is the most expensive city for business travel, with daily costs adding up to ($799), followed by geneva, ($716 per day), zurich ($661 per day), washington dc ($621 per day), and paris ($617 per day)..

(ECA International)

Hong Kong remains the most expensive city in Asia for business travel, with an average daily cost of $515.

In total, more than $50 billion was spent on business travel in the uk in 2017., from 2017 to 2018, there was a 3% decline in outbound business trips from the uk. in fact, since 2016, the outbound traffic rate has dropped steadily due to concerns about brexit., american travel statistics for business.

American companies understand the importance of investing in business travel. Whether for meetings, educational events, or conferences, Americans spend a lot of time and money on both personal and group business trips.

This spending is particularly heavy on the west coast. Indeed, the annual number of inbound business trips to the west is 7.5 million higher than those heading from the west to other parts of the country.

By 2022, there will be nearly 500 million business trips per year within the US.

In the us, nearly $328 billion was spent on international and domestic business trips in 2018..

(US Travel Association)

Predictions suggest that North America will lose 1% of global business travel market share by 2022.

There are about 64 million inter-regional trips in the us every year, statistics about traveling show..

(US Department of Transportation)

The west is America’s most popular region for business trips; annually, it attracts nearly 7.5 million more inter-regional business trips than it sends away. Every year, the south hosts 7.7 million fewer inbound inter-regional business trips than outbound ones.

26% of all business trips are one day long, according to international travel statistics..

(Associations Now)

Business Traveler Demographics

If you’re wondering who makes these trips, the answer is not as straightforward as you might think. Men aged between 30 and 49 form the majority of the business travel population, but the number of women who travel for business is growing rapidly.

Travelers are growing up quickly too; 40% of millennials now travel for work, and many choose jobs specifically because of the opportunity to travel. Most millennials who travel extend their business trips to visit other cities.

According to Bureau of Transportation statistics, 77% of people traveling for work are men.

Although some sites claim that 47% of business travelers are women, according to the american travel bureau, the actual proportion of women travelers is just 23%., more than half of all business trips are taken by people aged 30 to 49., millennial business travelers – stats and facts.

Millennials have now reached the age when they’re starting to rise to important positions in the workplace. They’re also known for valuing work-life balance perhaps more than any previous generation. That’s why it’s no surprise that millennials are strongly represented in business travel statistics.

Nearly 40% of millennials travel for business.

(American Express)

Nearly two-thirds of young workers and millennials see business trips as a status symbol.

(Hilton Hotels & Resorts)

Travelers aged 18 to 29 take 16% of all business trips.

55% of millennials prefer to prolong their business trips in order to have more time to experience new places and learn new things., business travel costs.

Business travel isn’t cheap. Indeed, when you take into account transportation, accommodations, food, and attendance at seminars, the costs add up. And most companies don’t choose cheap travel options. Companies spend a lot of money on business trips in order to provide the best experience to their employees.

The average cost of business travel per day in the US is $325.

(Business Travel News)

On the average business trip, companies spend $1,217 for international round-trip tickets and $470 on domestic business tickets.

(JTB Business Travel)

For every trip, US businesses spend nearly $950 per traveler who travels inside the US, while the average cost for an international business trip is $2,600 per person.

Us businesses spend $31.6 billion on international travel every year., typically, companies’ business traveling budgets are distributed like this: meals (21%), flights (17%), miscellaneous expenses (17%), and accommodation (13%)., 5% of total business travel costs go toward cell phones, while only 3% are spent on taxi services., if you’re organizing a business trip to new york, you should budget $145 for three meals a day. however, in nashville, you’ll need to budget only $76.50., business travel transportation facts.

You might be surprised to learn that most of America’s business trips are made by car. Americans prefer to travel in their private vehicles when possible.

About 405 million long-distance business trips are made each year in America, according to US travel statistics.

81% of all business trips are taken by car, while 16% are taken by plane., distance plays an important role in determining which mode of transport should be used; 97% of short trips (50 to 90 miles) are taken by vehicle., the world’s most expensive travel lounges are in these airports: dubai ($329/person), london city ($157/person), and london heathrow ($67/person)., bleisure travel statistics.

Work hard, play hard – this is the philosophy many business travelers now live by. “Bleisure” is a portmanteau that means exactly what you think it means: corporate trips that consist of both business and leisure. Just ask freelancers or remote workers, many of whom have taken bleisure to be their new lifestyle. The average corporate traveler in the USA lives the bleisure lifestyle by extending business trips so they can visit new cities and interact with different cultures.

Almost 10% of business trips can be categorized as bleisure trips.

Nearly 60% of businesses support bleisure trips by encouraging employees to extend their business trips., nearly 50% of business travelers extend their trips to visit other countries or cities..

(Booking.com)

More Business Travel Statistics and Facts

Nowadays, people are willing to take lower-paid jobs if they include business trips as a perk. While some companies don’t support “shared economy services” like Airbnb and Uber, statistics show that most American business travellers prefer these types of services.

Traveling for work is the main reason about 30% of people would choose a lower-paying job.

(Finance Online)

40% of business travelers don’t follow their companies’ travel policies. Instead, they make their hotel reservations on their own.

(Skift and Turkish Airlines)

15% of total Airbnb bookings come from business travelers.

What percent of travel is for business.

Business trips make up about 12% of total air travel. However, thanks to business class fares, they typically generate twice as much money for airlines as regular trips.

How many people travel business each year?

According to US statistics on traveling, 405 million long-distance business trips are taken each year.

What businesses travel the most?

With younger generations – especially millennials – looking for more dynamic jobs, more and more companies are ready to organize regular business trips for their employees. In general, sales representatives, consultants, and travel agents tend to travel most often. Professions like programming and accounting are typically thought of as desk jobs, but nowadays even those workers are getting the chance to attend trips and conferences.

What age group travels the most?

People between 30 and 49 travel the most for business, and most of those travelers are men. However, the number of women of all ages traveling for business is increasing. About 40% of millennials travel for business.

How long is the average business trip?

Business trips are typically quite short. On average, 26% of business trips are only one day long. Of course, many people like to combine business and leisure by extending their business to visit other places, according to the latest business travel statistics.

• American Express
• Booking.com
• ECA International
• Finance Online
• Global Business Travel Association 
• Investopedia
• Skift and TripActions
• US Department of Transportation
• Associations Now
• Business Travel News
• Hilton Hotels & Resorts
• JTB Business Travel

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Business Travel Statistics: Welcome Aboard, Frequent Flyer

People just don’t do business like they used to. With everything moving online, corporate executives are communicating via email and messaging apps around the globe, all day, every day.

But, there’s something about human interaction that will never go out of style. That’s why traditional corporate protocol still insists on face-to-face meetings. Whether it’s to close a multi-million dollar deal, or to simply attend an annual work convention, a good, old-fashioned sit-down does the trick.

Although business travel statistics showed a significant slowdown in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, business trips today are on the rise, proving to be one of the most valuable status symbols a company can afford.

So, let us walk you through the terminals of international airports, hotel lobbies, and high-class restaurants with these up-to-date business travel stats.

Revenue and Expenses

More than a quarter of global businesses rely on business travel..

(US Travel Association)

Nothing seals the deal like a good old handshake. Customers prefer to have in-person meetings, and companies owe them this privilege. That is why cutting on business travel is rarely posed as an option among big companies, as personal contact with clients is considered important.

According to Oxford Economics business travel statistics, if companies halted their travel policies and denied their customers meetings in person, they would lose approximately 25% of their current clients. This number fairs even higher when it comes to revenue, which would experience a drop of 28% if this nightmare scenario would suddenly turn real.

But that’s not all. An estimate of 36% of customers and 38% of the revenue would be lost in the manufacturing sector if companies were denied their right to use airplanes, trains, and cars to meet and discuss their businesses with clients in person.

Business travel made up about 26% of the total travel revenue in the United States in 2018.

(Global Business Travel Association) (US Travel Association)

The total travel output for 2018 was $2.5 trillion. While leisure traditionally takes up most of the revenue (around 74%), business travel is a constant contributor, with more than $292 billion in spending registered in 2017.

In 2018 US residents logged around 463 million domestic business trips, with 38% of the total number credited to traveling for meetings and events.

And the number is constantly increasing. According to US business travel statistics, the figure is set to rise to 493.7 million by 2022.

Compared to the global business travel revenue of $1.3 trillion in business travels, the United States is certainly a force to be reckoned with. With forecasters agreeing that this figure is to rise to more than $1.7 trillion by 2023, it seems that a huge chunk of the global revenue will still belong to American business travelers in the future.

Domestic business travel accounted for $111.17 billion in 2017.

While international spending averaged $31.6 billion in 2017, domestic business travel accounted for more than three times as much. However, while the average spending per domestic traveler was $949, international globetrotters spent an average of almost three times that much - an average person would spend as much as $2,600 on an international business trip.

But it is proven that business travel always pays off. For every dollar spent on business travel, companies see a $2.9 increase in profit and up to $9.5 increase in revenue.

Accommodation takes up an average of 13% of a business traveler’s budget.

(JTB Business Travel)

Hotel rooms can be expensive, especially when you’re doing business in a high-class metropolis like New York City. While motels, hostels, and Airbnb services are experiencing a rise in popularity among business travelers, hotels still reign supreme, especially within corporate business travel policies.

JTB Business Travel, which measures average prices per diem (per day) of hotels, transport, and meals purchased on business trips shows that New York is the most expensive US city for accommodation. An average New York hotel room costs $385.08 per diem.

If we consider that NYC is home to some of the biggest international hotel franchises like Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons, it’s no wonder that it takes up the flattering first spot. The second most expensive city in the United States is San Francisco at $379.37 per diem, with Boston coming third at $337.64.

In 2018, nearly 700,000 business travelers booked rooms with Airbnb for Work.

(Airbnb) (ZDNet)

Although hotels have a long tradition of accommodating business travelers, for the past few years, Airbnb is reversing the trend.

While domestic hotel rooms cost around $155 per night, Airbnb offers accommodation for only around $99. The company’s international prices are even lower - customers can book a room for an average of $75 as opposed to the $170 they would spend to book a hotel room.

78% of business travelers reported using Uber and other ride-hailing services.

(CNET) (Certify)

With a global market value of $72 billion, Uber has turned the world of taxi drivers upside down. They are becoming the number one choice for corporate travelers who need a lift on their business trips.

Taxi companies aren’t the only ones suffering from this surge of Uber popularity. The rental car service industry - which thrived on corporate executives traveling for business - is also feeling the blow.

In 2016, the market was still shared relatively fairly between ride-hailing and rental-car services. With 40% of travelers preferring to rent a vehicle, and 46% opting for ride-hailing, the only obvious losers were taxi services who only saw 14% the share.

However, in 2018, ride-hailing won the war with 78% of business travelers reporting to have used and preferred services of companies like Uber and Lyft. Rental cars saw a significant decline at 23% and taxi drivers were all but obliterated, falling to 6%.

In 2018 meals and incidental expenses made up $135.9 billion of total business travel spending.

Meals stack up 21% of expenses for an average business traveler. In addition to meals, companies also include incidental expenses into the traveler's allowance.

According to the 2019 edition of the Business Travel News Corporate Travel Index, meals are most expensive in New York, at $144.85 per diem. The runner-up is San Francisco with meal prices averaging $119.22 per diem, and Boston comes in third at $109.16 per diem.

At $495.1 million, Deloitte spent more on business travel expenses than any other US company.

As one of the Big Four accounting companies, Deloitte is a household name when it comes to expertise, professionalism and, of course, profit. When it comes to travel, Deloitte prefers to book flights, rather than any other means of transportation.

However, you don’t get to the top just by mindless spending alone. Due to its huge number of employees and a vast network of international divisions, Deloitte created a global procurement team in 2017 to handle the company’s global airline and hotel bookings.

Deloitte also implemented an automated airfare price assurance program, and strengthened its pre-trip review and approval processes, making booking faster, cheaper and easier. The majority of flights (72%) were conducted in the United States.

The second spot was reserved for IBM, at $430 million. The bronze went to PwC with $317.6 million spent to fund their employees' business trips. All of their business travel expenses were credited to various airlines.

Some airlines earn as much as 75% of their total revenue from business travelers.

(Investopedia)

Airlines get most of their revenue directly from passengers. While business travelers make up only 12% in numbers, they are every airline’s most valuable customer.

According to 2019 data, business travelers usually make up at least twice as much in terms of profit. With first-class tickets sometimes costing 10 times the price of coach tickets, business travel statistics like these come as no surprise.

The data implies that in some cases, airlines earn as much as 75% of their total revenue of trips booked by business travelers of all sorts.

This is mostly due to companies booking first-class tickets for their emissaries traveling across the country. While corporate travel policies have a history of saving money on business trips, in more recent years, this trend is being steadily reversed.

Managers now insist on providing their employees maximum comfort and convenience, since it reflects well on overall productivity. This has pushed airlines to compete with each other in terms of services they offer, continually offering new benefits.

In 2019, four US cities landed on the map of the world’s most expensive cities for business travel.

(CNN) (JTB Business Travel)

Los Angeles and San Francisco have landed on the list of the 10 most expensive cities for business travel. This is a significant jump compared to the year before when only Washington DC and New York held positions on the list.

NYC business travel statistics indicate that the Big Apple is the most expensive city for business travelers, mostly due to hefty hotel prices. Moreover, renting a hotel room in New York costs an average of $385 per diem.

Washington currently holds fourth place in expenses, with San Francisco, and Los Angeles, at seventh and ninth place respectively.

The other five cities worldwide are Zurich, Paris, Reykjavik, Basel, and Bern. The United States and Switzerland dominate the list, with four cities each.

Live chat with travel agencies, much like in-person meetings, improves business.

(Statista) (Kayako)

While this is not related to business travel exclusively, it is fairly indicative of which direction the travel industry is headed. Especially if we consider that 59% of US business travelers always book their hotel themselves and 30% usually book their hotel themselves.

In 2017, 79% of travel industry businesses reported an increase in revenue after enabling a live chat option on their website. Any way you look at it, investing in live chat has a huge influence on customer experience. In the short-term, companies that introduced live chat reported a significant increase in new customers. In the long-run, it does wonders for repeat business.

However, 38% of surveyed users consider a poor live-chat experience the number one reason for frustration when handling their travels.

Demographics and General Business Travel Statistics

Millennials are the fastest-growing group of business travelers in the united states..

Millennials are a rising force of the domestic economy in all sectors. This applies to business travel as well. According to a survey conducted by Skift, young adults in their late twenties/early thirties took 7.4 business trips in 2015.

Their older counterparts, popularly known as Gen Xers, were reported to have an average of 6.4 trips per year. Baby boomers came last with a 6.3 average.

While boomers prefer traditional accommodation, like hotels, younger travelers are more likely to go for non-chain hotels, Airbnb and other “room share” services. This is especially the case for millennials employed in the tech industry.

Also, travel statistics by age group suggest that the same target group most often uses low-cost air carriers, with 85% of them booking low-cost airlines in 2018.

On the other hand, ridesharing companies have experienced a huge growth in popularity among business travelers of all ages. As much as 81% of the survey’s respondents stated that they would take Uber or Lyft over taxis any day.

Millennials are 60% more-likely to purchase seats with extra legroom while flying, and spend some leisure time on their business trip.

(Forbes) (National Car Rental)

With 65% of millennials viewing business travel as a status symbol, additional legroom, as well as other benefits, are things they desire. That being said, they are also more likely to pay for additional headroom, roomier seats, and in-flight entertainment compared to the other two age groups.

Moreover, Millenials are most likely to consider business travel a perk when choosing a job, with nearly 90% of millennials seeking an advantage to extend their business trip into leisure. Other groups are not far behind, with 81% of Generation Xers and 80% of baby boomers also confirming that they like to make the most of the time they are given while away on business.

45% of millennials are prone to feeling guilty about mixing leisure with their business trips.

(Travel Agent Central)

While all business travelers like mixing business with leisure trips, they are also prone to feeling guilty about it. Around 45% of millennial respondents in a survey have reported having the so-called “bleisure travel stigma.” This means they believe they should avoid telling others about the fun times or personal activities they have on business trips.

While they are the least-likely to tell their bosses about their leisure time on business trips, millenials are most-likely to share photos of their adventures on social media.

However, regardless of their age or generation, managers (64%) and executive/senior leaders (67%) are also more likely to share their “bleisure” activities than non-managers (54 %) on social media.

This goes to show, as the employees become older and assume more senior positions within their companies, the stigma wears off. For example, 40% of Gen X respondents said they prefer keeping their personal activities during business trips private.

85% of frequent business travelers report having trouble balancing everyday work responsibilities while traveling for business.

(National Car Rental)

Employees that spend more than 88 days on the road per year showed an increase in breaking the business vs leisure barrier. “Bleisure” travelers reported working 9.1 hours a day, which is a whole hour less than the travelers who engage in strict travel for work purposes who clocked 10.1 hours on average per day.

The divide is real - 53% of business travelers state that finding time for leisure while on an official trip is next to impossible, as opposed to the 59% who manage to squeeze in some “me time” in the mix.

81% of all business trips in the United States are conducted by personal vehicles.

The majority of business travelers still prefer to use their personal vehicles as transport whenever they can. This is mainly due to the fact that 74% of all domestic business trips are conducted within less than 250 miles from the point of departure, with most of those being less than 100 miles.

However, as the distance gets longer, more people turn to air travel. Around 97% of 50-to 99-mile trips, as well as nearly 94% of 100-to-249-mile trips, are conducted by personal vehicles. Once the range reaches 250-to-499 miles, the personal vehicle share sharply declines to 67% while those in favor of airplanes surges to 31%.

While distances over 1,000 miles account for only 7% of the total number of business trips, they are almost exclusively conducted by air travel.

Attending a conference is the number one reason for business trips for all age groups.

Around 62% of all respondents in the Skift 2016 survey stated that the main reason for business travel is usually to attend a conference of some sort. This was the case with 74% of millenials, 61% of Gen Xers, and 53% of boomers.

The second biggest reason (56%) of travel was to attend a meeting with people from another company for the purposes of business planning or customer service. Millennials once again took the lead with 77%, with Gen Xers as second at 56%, and boomers at 39%.

The third reason is professional development or training, with an average of 44% of all respondents naming this as their purpose of business travel. Broken down into individual age brackets, the numbers come down to 63% of millennials, 43% of Gen Xers, and 25% of baby boomers.

Business traveler demographics report that women account for approximately 47% of all business travelers.

(Corporate Traveller)

While the usual stereotype implies that it is more common for men to take business trips, in recent years, the reality is closer to 50-50.

However, as women become more present in the business travel sphere, some specific safety issues arise. Female business traveler statistics focused on safety issues discovered that 90% of respondents named safety as the first thing that affected the activities pursued during personal time while on business travel.

The women who took part in the survey reported that such issues mostly affect their booking behavior (86%), where they prefer to exclusively book daytime flights, and rooms as close to the center of a city as possible.

Location is simply more important for women. For example, 84% cited that they tend to avoid cities and places that have a reputation for being unsafe. Furthermore, 81% indicated their travel frequency for business has also been affected by safety concerns, and 80% agree that such issues have had an impact on their productivity during business trips.

Nevertheless, the average business travel hotel user is still a middle-aged male.

As we’re all accustomed to seeing grey-haired men in suits and ties hanging around hotel lobbies, this fact is hardly a surprise. The average business travel hotel guest is male (63%), aged 35-54 (50%), employed in a professional or managerial position (56%) and earning an average yearly household income of $127,000.

As much as 78% travel alone, with the large majority of business travelers making reservations (95%). According to USA Today, The Hampton Inn and Suites was the favorite choice for corporate travelers in 2017.

Around 60% of companies have a travel policy, although employees prefer to handle booking themselves.

However, as much as 50% of surveyed companies allow travelers to book using any method they choose.

Furthermore, 46% of business travelers have reported preferring booking hotels on consumer sites and finding a better price, then relying on their company to do it for them.

As companies are led by other factors while choosing hotels, employees tend to think in more practical terms. That is why 37% of surveyed travelers reported having booked the hotels that were in the closest possible proximity of an established meeting place or conference location.

International Travel Statistics

China is the leading force when it comes to business travel spending..

(Global Business Travel Association) (CAPA)

With the United States spending more than $292 billion on business travel alone, China has reportedly reached a figure of $346.50 billion that funded their international corporate exploits.

China’s economic boom has launched the country’s corporate traveler to the very top of global business travel statistics. China dominates both regional and international statistics, with Japan and South Korea as traditional high-spenders in the region.

However, other players in the Asia-Pacific market, like India and Indonesia are making an appearance in the global business travel sector by growing at an incredible rate.

In 2014, India’s business travel market was worth $26 billion. Today it is forecast to reach $46 billion. As a country where economic activity is dominated by consumption, India’s business travel growth rate of 11.3 % is oriented more towards domestic than international.

On the other hand, Indonesia, which reported $17 billion in business travel spending in 2017, is a more trade-oriented country. This means that the country’s business-travel spending growth rate of 8.7% is focused on the international market rather than the domestic.

Europe is right behind China, holding 24% of total global business travel spending.

(Global Business Travel Association) (Blue Swan Daily)

Europe is home to some of the largest corporations in the world that rank the continent as second on a global scale when it comes to business travel spending. The largest part of this spending is attributed to developed Western European countries like Germany, the UK, and France.

In fact, a total of $364 billion in business travel spending was reported in Europe in 2017, with Western Europe claiming as much as $310 billion.

Traditional industrial powerhouses like Germany rated their business travel spending at about $72.07 billion in 2017, confirming the country’s unprecedented status in worldwide trade. France is also a powerhouse - the country spent more than $40 billion in 2016.

Spain spends around $20 billion in business travel, ranking 13th on the Global Business Travel Association’s list of the largest travel markets.

While most Western European economies have reported steady growth in business travel spending during the last few years, the United Kingdom has shown a 0.7% decline in 2017, largely due to the Brexit political crisis.

Further Reading

• The Most Powerful Passports Ranked

Frequently Asked Questions

1. how often do people travel for business.

An estimated 1.3 million business trips occur in the United States on a daily basis – 463 million trips per year in the United States alone.

2. How many business travelers fly each year?

Around 12% of the total number of flights is reserved by business travelers. In 2017 the US Department of Transportation reported that US airlines and foreign airlines serving the United States hosted 965 million domestic and international scheduled service passengers.

3. What percent of airline travel is for business?

Although business travelers make up only 12% in numbers, they are every airline’s most valuable customer. The data implies that in some cases, airlines earn as much as 75% of their total revenue of trips booked by business travelers of all sorts.

4. Do airlines charge business travelers more?

No. However, the circumstances of a typical business traveler affect the price of a plane ticket. Factors that usually affect the cost of flying for a business traveler are: flying on short notice, arranging a flight at a desirable time of day, and flying to a popular destination.

I have always thought of myself as a writer, but I began my career as a data operator with a large fintech firm. This position proved invaluable for learning how banks and other financial institutions operate. Daily correspondence with banking experts gave me insight into the systems and policies that power the economy. When I got the chance to translate my experience into words, I gladly joined the smart, enthusiastic Fortunly team.

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Hot Oceans Worsened Dubai’s Dramatic Flooding, Scientists Say

An international team of researchers found that heavy rains had intensified in the region, though they couldn’t say for sure how much climate change was responsible.

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By Raymond Zhong

Scenes of flood-ravaged neighborhoods in one of the planet’s driest regions stunned the world this month. Heavy rains in the United Arab Emirates and Oman submerged cars, clogged highways and killed at least 21 people. Flights out of Dubai’s airport, a major global hub, were severely disrupted.

The downpours weren’t a total surprise — forecasters had anticipated the storms several days earlier and issued warnings. But they were certainly unusual.

Here’s what to know.

Heavy rain there is rare, but not unheard-of.

On average, the Arabian Peninsula receives a scant few inches of rain a year, although scientists have found that a sizable chunk of that precipitation falls in infrequent but severe bursts, not as periodic showers. These rains often come during El Niño conditions like the ones the world is experiencing now.

U.A.E. officials said the 24-hour rain total on April 16 was the country’s largest since records there began in 1949 . And parts of the nation had already experienced an earlier round of thunderstorms in March.

Oman, with its coastline on the Arabian Sea, is also vulnerable to tropical cyclones. Past storms there have brought torrential rain, powerful winds and mudslides, causing extensive damage.

Global warming is projected to intensify downpours.

Stronger storms are a key consequence of human-caused global warming. As the atmosphere gets hotter, it can hold more moisture, which can eventually make its way down to the earth as rain or snow.

But that doesn’t mean rainfall patterns are changing in precisely the same way across every part of the globe.

In their latest assessment of climate research , scientists convened by the United Nations found there wasn’t enough data to have firm conclusions about rainfall trends in the Arabian Peninsula and how climate change was affecting them. The researchers said, however, that if global warming were to be allowed to continue worsening in the coming decades, extreme downpours in the region would quite likely become more intense and more frequent.

Hot oceans are a big factor.

An international team of scientists has made a first attempt at estimating the extent to which climate change may have contributed to April’s storms. The researchers didn’t manage to pin down the connection precisely, though in their analysis, they did highlight one known driver of heavy rain in the region: above-normal ocean temperatures.

Large parts of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans have been hotter than usual recently, in part because of El Niño and other natural weather cycles, and in part because of human-induced warming .

When looking only at El Niño years, the scientists estimated that storm events as infrequent as this month’s delivered 10 percent to 40 percent more rain to the region than they would in a world that hadn’t been warmed by human activities. They cautioned, however, that these estimates were highly uncertain.

“Rainfall, in general, is getting more extreme,” said Mansour Almazroui, a climate scientist at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and one of the researchers who contributed to the analysis.

The analysis was conducted by scientists affiliated with World Weather Attribution, a research collaboration that studies extreme weather events shortly after they occur. Their findings about this month’s rains haven’t yet been peer reviewed, but are based on standardized methods .

The role of cloud seeding isn’t clear.

The U.A.E. has for decades worked to increase rainfall and boost water supplies by seeding clouds. Essentially, this involves shooting particles into clouds to encourage the moisture to gather into larger, heavier droplets, ones that are more likely to fall as rain or snow.

Cloud seeding and other rain-enhancement methods have been tried around the world, including in Australia, China, India, Israel, South Africa and the United States. Studies have found that these operations can, at best, affect precipitation modestly — enough to turn a downpour into a bigger downpour, but probably not a drizzle into a deluge.

Still, experts said pinning down how much seeding might have contributed to this month’s storms would require detailed study.

“In general, it is quite a challenge to assess the impact of seeding,” said Luca Delle Monache, a climate scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif. Dr. Delle Monache has been leading efforts to use artificial intelligence to improve the U.A.E.’s rain-enhancement program.

An official with the U.A.E.’s National Center of Meteorology, Omar Al Yazeedi, told news outlets that the agency didn’t conduct any seeding during the latest storms. His statements didn’t make clear, however, whether that was also true in the hours or days before.

Mr. Al Yazeedi didn’t respond to emailed questions from The New York Times, and Adel Kamal, a spokesman for the center, didn’t have further comment.

Cities in dry places just aren’t designed for floods.

Wherever it happens, flooding isn’t just a matter of how much rain comes down. It’s also about what happens to all that water once it’s on the ground — most critically, in the places people live.

Cities in arid regions often aren’t designed to drain very effectively. In these areas, paved surfaces block rain from seeping into the earth below, forcing it into drainage systems that can easily become overwhelmed.

One recent study of Sharjah , the capital of the third-largest emirate in the U.A.E., found that the city’s rapid growth over the past half-century had made it vulnerable to flooding at far lower levels of rain than before.

Omnia Al Desoukie contributed reporting.

Raymond Zhong reports on climate and environmental issues for The Times. More about Raymond Zhong

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