Published on
August 27, 2025
Travel for business purposes to the US, Germany, the UK, Canada, France, and Spain holds steady in the first half of 2025, even as leisure tourism sees a decline. The US continues to dominate as the worldwide leader in business travel, closely followed by the other major business hubs as companies continually prioritize to visit. As per the latest information collected by SAP Concur, spending on business flight travel to the US constitutes 15 percent of all global business bookings with major European countries like Germany, the UK and France also receiving considerable foreign business traffic.
US Continues to Lead Global Business Travel in 2025: Why Corporate Travel Is Thriving
In 2025, the US has maintained its position as the preferred destination for international business travel. The country remains the number one choice, accounting for 15 percent of all global business trips. Despite challenges in the global economic climate, the US continues to be a vital destination for professionals seeking to attend conferences, meetings, and industry events. In fact, business travel between the US and Canada, its closest neighbour, has remained stable, with nearly 80 percent of all outbound business trips from Canada directed to the US.
Other Leading Business Travel Hotspots in 2025: Key International Destinations
The US leads the pack, but other nations have also seen significant business travel demand. Germany follows with 7.7 percent of business bookings, while the UK and France round out the top five with 7.6 percent and 6.2 percent, respectively. Spain also secured a spot in the top seven, highlighting its growing importance as a business hub for various sectors. The Netherlands, Mexico, and China also made the list, reflecting their strong roles in international business partnerships and investments.
Leisure Travel to the US Sees Decline in 2025: What’s Behind the Shift?
While business travel to the US is thriving, leisure travel has taken a downturn in 2025. According to SAP Concur, the US is seeing fewer tourists compared to previous years, with leisure bookings dipping amidst rising global concerns about inflation and security. However, business travellers remain undeterred by these challenges, continuing to rely on the US for major corporate events and transactions.
US Outbound Business Travel Experiences Decline in 2025: Key Insights
One notable shift this year is the decline in outbound business travel from the US International business travel by American professionals dropped by 2.3 percent in the first half of 2025, with a significant reduction in travel during the second quarter. While the decline is notable, it is not unexpected. It aligns with typical seasonal travel patterns and a projected slower recovery in global business spending, as predicted by the US Travel Association.
Airfares Remain Steady Despite Rising Global Travel Demand in 2025
Despite increasing demand for business travel, international airfares for business trips have remained stable in 2025. The average cost for a business class ticket on international routes is approximately USD 1,682. American business travellers, however, are paying the highest prices, with tickets averaging USD 2,675. This cost disparity reflects the competitive pricing for air travel in various markets. Interestingly, business airfares between the US and Canada have shown a slight dip, returning to levels similar to 2024 by the second quarter.
Business Travel in Key Regions: Insights into 2025’s Most Active Markets
In terms of regional business travel, the data reveals an interesting trend for Canada. Despite strained political relations between the US and Canada, business travel has continued to grow steadily, with a slight increase of 0.18 percent in international business bookings from Canada in the first half of 2025. This indicates that corporate interests continue to outweigh geopolitical concerns, highlighting the ongoing importance of US-Canada business relations.
The Shifting Landscape of Global Business Travel
The business travel landscape has seen mixed trends in 2025. While travel to the US remains a priority for global business professionals, outbound US travel has slowed. This shift in travel patterns reflects both seasonal trends and economic challenges that have impacted international spending. However, global business travel overall is projected to continue recovering as industries navigate these hurdles, with a 2.6 percent year-on-year increase in business travel volume globally.
A Resilient Sector for Business Travel
Business travel continues to be an integral part of the economy, especially for the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Spain, as they remain the business travel hubs of the world. A clear divergence is visible as leisure traveling slows down, while corporate travel continues to be robust and resilient. Professionals, for the most part, prefer face to face meetings which is why business travel continues to increase especially in major countries like the US and Europe. Despite air travel challenges such as price volatility and geopolitical conflicts, business travel in 2025 is predicted to be optimistic and robust due to the international business cooperation and trade.
