In recent times, we have seen interesting trends in the cost and popularity of business class flights across the globe. More specifically, the cost of travelling business class has diminished considerably over the course of the last 18 months, thanks to increased levels of competition within this marketplace and a continued decline in global oil prices.
Although this trend is more prominent among longer-haul flights (the cost of travelling between New York and London has fallen by 37% since 2015, for example), it is impacting on short-haul flights too. This is making the concept of business class travel increasingly accessible and popular among SMEs in the UK, while establishing several European locations as popular destinations for conferences and seminars.
3 of the Most Popular European Destinations for Business Travel
Of course, this evolution has also been spurred by the emergence of specialist corporate travel operators like Reed and Mackay, whose services have removed many of the barriers to entry associated with international business trips. Such expertise helps companies to schedule trips and minimise costs, particularly when they look to travel to popular and competitive destinations.
But what are the most popular European locations for business travel? Here are our three picks: –
London, England
Not surprisingly, London tops the list of European travel destinations
within the business community. Interestingly, it is one of four European locations that feature in the global top 10, with London competing with New York for the honour of being the world’s commercial hub.
The commercial centre of London is certainly well-populated with exceptional amenities and variably priced accomodation, while businesses of all sizes can comfortably find conference venues throughout the capital. While London many not be renowned as an affordable location to visit, the diversity of areas in the East and the West of the capital make it easy for firms to identify commercial locations that exist within their budget.
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Next up is Amsterdam, which is relatively unheralded as a business travel destination on the continent. Instead it is renowned as a cultural hub and recreational travel location, but the reputation of Holland’s capital city has undergone a significant transformation in recent times.
More specifically, Amsterdam has emerged as an affordable business travel location for brands, both in terms of flights and the cost of accommodation. Larger businesses are also looking to competitively-priced destinations such as Amsterdam when booking conference venues, as a volatile economic climate encourages them to reduce costs and identify locations that are cheap and accessible.
So as the demand for business class flights to traditional commercial destinations like Singapore and China has declined, so too Amsterdam has enjoyed a considerable boom.
Paris, France
Paris has undergone some traumatic events in recent times, thanks primarily to geopolitical tensions and the global terror threat. It remains in high-demand among business travellers, however, as its accessible and easy to navigate nature helps to secure its place as one of Europe’s most desirable commercial centres.
Make no mistake; Paris is a compact and competitively priced destination with outstanding transport links, both internally and too neighbouring regions in Europe. This means that many domestic and European brands look to Paris when booking international events, particularly annual conferences that draw visitors from across the world.
The profile of Paris and its unique advantages has also helped to ward off competition from emerging European economies and technology hubs, and we are unlikely to see Paris’ popularity as a business destination decline any time soon.
