Booking.com for Business has revealed the top global cities for business travel in 2025, ranking destinations by value, safety, and infrastructure.
Telecommuting and hybrid-style working are lingering—and in some cases permanent—remnants from lockdown. But meeting in person is back in a big way. Whether a conference, board meeting or retreat, business travel to take care of business is back on track.
According to Accor, professionals expect a 25 percent higher return from face-to-face meetings compared to virtual ones—an impressive statistic. Amid this resurgence, choosing where to travel for business has become an even more strategic decision.
The analysis of cities across the U.S. and globally weighed factors such as affordability, infrastructure, safety, and connectivity.
At the top of the U.S. list is Las Vegas, with a business travel score of 6.86 out of 10. A hub for massive expos and trade shows, the city hosts more than 1,000 business events annually, including major gatherings like the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which alone draws more than 100,000 professionals from around the globe. Many of the city’s hotels and conference centers offer free high-speed Wi-Fi and its airport—Harry Reid International—connects directly to more than 150 domestic and international destinations.
Hotel rates in Las Vegas are also competitive, especially for midweek stays, and the city offers a robust selection of coworking spaces—ideal for remote teams on the move.
Second on the U.S. list is Irving, TX, with a business score of 6.82. Located in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and home to 10 Fortune 500 companies, Irving stands out for its safety, affordability, and strong business infrastructure.
Columbus, OH ranks third (6.69), bolstered by its central location, reasonable costs and pro-business climate. This capital city hosts a large number of coworking hubs and industry events, and Ohio’s lack of corporate income tax helps make it even more attractive for companies to host regional meetings.
Rounding out the top 10 in the U.S., with their scores, are:
- Pittsburgh—6.54
- San Antonio—6.45
- Austin—6.44
- Nashville—6.32
- Fort Worth—6.27
- Houston—6.25
- Orlando—6.18
Around the World
Globally, Seoul leads the pack with a business travel score of 7.97 out of 10, outperforming major cities like Tokyo, Berlin, and London. The South Korean capital hosts hundreds of international events annually and is supported by a transit system considered among the most efficient in the world.
Warsaw, Poland, ranks second globally (7.24), boasting internationally flagged properties with copious meeting space, and its costs—for everything from taxi fares to hotel stays—remain among the lowest in Europe. Warsaw also offers high safety and connectivity, all of which make it an emerging destination for pan-European meetings and tech start-up gatherings.
Tokyo lands in third place globally with a score of 7.18. Japan’s capital is the safest OECD city, with a safety score of 75.88 out of 100, and plays host to 766 international conferences per year. With global heavyweights like Sony, Mitsubishi, and SoftBank headquartered there, Tokyo continues to be a vital player in global commerce.
The global top 10 also includes:
- Lisbon—7.13
- Madrid—6.98
- Prague—6.14
- Mexico City—6.10
- Budapest—6.01
- Bogata—5.81
- Vilnius (Lithuania)—5.72
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