Amsterdam and New York are the most visited cities for European business travellers. According to BCD Travel’s Cities & Trends Europe 2023 edition, The most popular countries are Germany and the United States. The report is based on BCD flight and car rental data in 2023 in a range of European markets.

Top 10 business travel cities

Overall, business travel spend in Europe in 2023 has recovered to 96% of pre-pandemic (2019) levels. The report acknowledges that recovery varies by region and country, and depends on geopolitical developments, supplier inventory and other factors. In line with GBTA’s 2023 findings, Western Europe is clearly leading with the top 10 intra-European cities driven by the return of face-to-face meetings and events, and the rebound in international business travel capacity and volumes. The rest of Europe is recovering slower, challenged by the war in Ukraine among other reasons.

The list of intercontinental cities is led by the US with seven cities in the top 10. However, Dubai is performing well in third place. The emirate is heavily focused on growth. The full city ranking top ten list is as follows:

“While global business travel rebounds, the pace of recovery in China has been more gradual,” said Jonathan Kao, managing director of North Asia. “Beijing has dropped off the list from its 2019 position as the eighth most visited intercontinental city for European business travellers, and Shanghai has fallen from second to 10th place. Despite this, we’re encouraged by the recent visa exemptions for travellers from certain European countries, and overall, more lenient visa procedures. We anticipate a significant resurgence in business travel to China in 2024, evidenced by the early increase in travel volumes we’ve seen in the first two months of 2024.”

Top five business travel countries

Germany is the most visited European country, followed by the UK which dropped from first place in 2019 to second in 2023. The Netherlands, France and Italy follow in third, fourth and fifth place, respectively.

The US is leading the intercontinental ranking, followed by the United Arab Emirates, India and China. This demonstrates the strong trading relationship between Europe and Asia. Canada closes the ranking in fifth place.

“Risks like geopolitics and rising crime, new sustainability legislation and remote work continue to impact business travel volumes and where travel budgets are directed to,” said Michèle Lawley (pictured), BCD’s president of Europe. “Airline capacities once sufficient might become scarce. A destination once safe might have become dangerous for travelers. These are some examples of why travel programs quickly need to adjust to new circumstances.”

Top 10 business travel routes

The most frequently traveled routes² for intercontinental flights from Europe depart from London and Frankfurt, together accounting for eight positions in the top 10. Amsterdam and Paris complete the list of European departure hubs in ninth and tenth place.

The top 10 arrival hubs for intercontinental routes are largely dominated by the US, with New York City being the most popular. Shanghai is the only APAC arrival hub in the list.

The full Cities & Trends Europe 2023 report with insights about European travellers can be found here.