Amex GBT: New York and San Francisco Top List of Destinations for U.K. Business Travelers

New York and San Francisco are again two of the most popular cities booked by U.K.-based business travelers, according to data from American Express Global Business Travel (GBT).  
 
American Express GBT compiled the list based on bookings made by American Express GBT agents during 2015.  
 
New York has long been the most popular destination for international business travel and continues to rank as the top city for U.K. travelers.  
 
San Francisco, with its proximity to Silicon Valley, has always been important for business relationships, as well, but is growing larger, moving up from the third position to second.  
 
Boston and Chicago, at six and seven, are the two other U.S. cities in the top 10.  
 
“The USA clearly remains one of the most important destinations for UK business [travelers],” said Jason Geall, Vice President and General Manager, UK,?American Express Global Business Travel.
 
Emerging destinations  
Though traditional cities remain on top, some emerging markets are having an impact. Johannesburg and Singapore came in fifth and sixth, respectively, while Tel Aviv, a city whose government is actively assisting its growth as a technology hub making the list for the first time, at number eight.  
 
“There have been some shifts in travel patterns from the U.K. at both a European and wider international level in 2015,” said Geall.  
 
However, Paul Wait, CEO of the Guild of Travel Management Companies (GTMC), the major U.K.-based association representing travel management companies, said the group’s data shows that business travel bookings from the U.K. make up just 1.5% of all travel to the world’s seven largest economies.  
 
“It isn’t surprising the flights taken by business [travelers] from the U.K. are focused on stable and established economies, however it is concerning that travel to emerging destinations is so comparatively low when it comes to future planning,” Wait said in a statement.  
 
Wait suggested that more flights to these emerging destinations are needed “to allow businesses to grow and expand in the markets around the world with the most potential.”?
 
While overall the business travel market is healthy, bookings to China are down 17% year-on-year in 2015. Shanghai has fallen out of the Top 10 list, “potentially reflecting international concerns about the country’s economic situation.” 

The Top 10:
1. New York, NY
2. San Francisco, CA
3. Dubai, U.A.E.
4. Johannesburg, South Africa
5. Singapore, Singapore
6. Boston, MA
7. Chicago, IL
8. Tel Aviv, Israel
9. Hong Kong, Hong Kong
10. Delhi, India

Pic: nosha