Business travel continues to grow, with these cities seeing the highest rate of hotel bookings in 2023

Delray Beach, Fla. (March 5, 2024) – Hickory Global Partners, a global corporate travel alliance that serves travel agencies, travel departments and corporations, has announced the most popular cities for domestic and international business travel based on bookings per night through Hickory’s platform throughout 2023. 

Hickory has over 2,500 members across approximately 74 countries to ensure efficient business travel bookings with over 51,000 hotel partners. This allows them to provide members with the best rates, incentives and opportunities for clients.

The top ten cities in the United States for business travel, beginning with the most popular, are: 

1. Houston, Texas
2. San Diego, California
3. New York, New York
4. Chicago, Illinois 
5. Atlanta, Georgia
6. Charlotte, North Carolina
7. Austin, Texas
8. Orlando, Florida
9. San Antonio, Texas
10. Sacramento, California

For international business travel, the top ten most popular locations are: 

1. London, England
2. Toronto, Ontario, Canada
3. Calgary, Alberta, Canada
4. Montreal, Quebec, Canada
5. Tokyo, Japan
6. Stockholm, Sweden
7. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
8. Paris, France
9. Singapore, Singapore
10. Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

“Business travel picked up significantly in 2023, which saw the highest level of overnight bookings since the pandemic,” said Chris Dane, President of Hickory. “We expect industry growth to continue as business travel evolves, taking on a new look, including hybrid events and smaller, but more frequent bookings. While it is clear the industry is forever changed, business travel has proven it is here to stay.” 

Of the ten domestic cities named, six are in the Southern region, which are ideal locations for travelers who like to make the most out of their business trips and escape colder climates. For example, after previously ranking at #11 in 2022 and now at #8 in 2023, Orlando experienced a rise in nightly bookings in line with Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort seeing notable growth in visitor numbers over the past year. Also, travel to these locations is usually cheaper. The #1 city for business travel, Houston, amassed an average daily rate of spend of $153.91, while New York City, ranked #3, had an average spend of $408.19. Unsurprisingly, the remaining four cities include Chicago and New York, which both have had return-to-office mandates, as well as Sacramento and San Diego. In addition to being considered an economic innovation hub, Sacramento has seen an influx of people relocating from higher-cost cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco and the lowest daily rate of spend in comparison at $142.28.

As for the ten international cities, four are in Canada, primarily due to proximity to the United States and the fact that many multinational companies have a significant presence in both the U.S. and Canada. Tokyo, previously ranked at #15, experienced over 100% growth in business travel bookings as its long-term travel ban finally lifted in early 2023. Dubai and Singapore experienced significant growth in nights booked, living up to their reputations as economic and innovation centers with world-class infrastructures and business-friendly environments. London remained the most popular international city for business travel in terms of nights booked. They also had the second highest average daily rate of spend, at $414.67. Meanwhile, nights booked in Paris fell by 6.3%, pushing the city to the tenth spot after previously ranking #3. This could be due to an increased average rate of spend, now sitting at $431.24.

In 2023, the industry hotel spend surpassed 2019 by 19.6%, and industry hotel bookings were roughly 96% of 2019 levels. Considering the undeniable growth trajectory, Hickory anticipates 2024 business travel will exceed pre-pandemic levels in all aspects.

About Hickory Global Partners

Founded over 40 years ago, Hickory Global Partners is an industry-leading global alliance for corporate travel agencies, corporate travel departments and corporations that delivers unparalleled negotiated discounts and commissions, resources, support, and value that significantly benefits its members, and ultimately, their clients. Hickory Global Partners bridges the gap between members and suppliers and raises the bar on what being a global corporate travel alliance is all about. Its visionary hotel program, robust air program, one-of-a-kind ground transportation program, comprehensive ancillary portfolio and cutting-edge technology and tools, make Hickory Global Partners an important strategic partner in the corporate travel industry. Hickory Global Partners is a wholly owned unit of InteleTravel. For more information, visit www.hickoryglobalpartners.com.