– Data shows top 10 cities with most-booked business travel to Australia from the Asia Pacific region and globally –
Sydney, AUSTRALIA, 12 MAY 2017 – SIX of the top ten cities outside of Asia Pacific (APAC) which are travelling to Australia for business are US cities, according to data from American Express Global Business Travel (GBT).
Australia’s strong business ties to the U.S., particularly San Francisco and New York, continue to remain a key travel driver. In addition a weaker Australian dollar has increased tourism to Australia and resulted in greater connectivity, further enabling business travel.
The travel destination data, which encompasses all air bookings made globally through American Express GBT between March 2016 and February 2017 for travel to Australia, provides a robust snapshot of business travel flows into the country. Singapore remains the top city of origin within Asia Pacific, and London outside the region. The Singapore, Auckland and Hong Kong ranking’s as the top three origins for business travel mirror perfectly with Australia’s outbound business travel destinations.
“Amidst all the commentary regarding the impact of U.S. and U.K. politics and changes in regulations, there has not been a noticeable impact on business travel between the U.S and Australia,” said Jo Sully, Vice President and General Manager, American Express Global Business Travel, Australia. “Considering the high number of multinational organisations operating in Australia, the need for travel between the U.S. and Australia is unlikely to be affected in any meaningful way in the immediate future. We have, however, seen a greater demand for up-to-the-minute information from companies as they navigate through changing regulations and policies”.
“That being said, it will be interesting to see how current global political conditions impact international business travel related to meetings and events. When large groups are required to travel for a conference or other large-scale event, issues such as the recent travel bans and electronic devices bans in the U.S. may drive people to consider alternative destinations. If Australia continues to position itself as a welcome destination for busines travellers, there is scope for us to benefit from a rise in meetings and events spend and business traveller tourism dollars.”
Asia Pacific remains the focus
Cities within APAC make up the majority of the top ten visiting Australia for business, with proximity playing a factor. Unsuprisingly, London is the highest ranked destination outside of APAC, followed by New York. New Zealand and Australia maintain traditional business links, with particular demand coming from the technology, services and consulting sectors. These sectors also feature heavily in travel between Australia and Hong Kong, in addition to the financial services sector.
| Top 10 international cities visiting Australia for business | |
| Rank | Origin city |
| 1 | SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE |
| 2 | AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND |
| 3 | HONG KONG, CHINA |
| 4 | LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM |
| 5 | TOKYO, JAPAN |
| 6 | NEW YORK, UNITED STATES |
| 7 | BANGKOK, THAILAND |
| 8 | SHANGHAI, CHINA |
| 9 | KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA |
| 10 | WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND |
U.S. to Australia business ties remain strong
North American cities dominate the top 10 rankings beyond Asia Pacific, with New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco the top three U.S. cities visiting Australia. London, Paris, Amsterdam and Dubai comprise the remaining cities in the top 10 outside of Asia Pacific.
| Top 10 international cities visiting Australia for business excluding APAC | |
| Rank | Origin city |
| 1 | LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM |
| 2 | NEW YORK, UNITED STATES |
| 3 | LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES |
| 4 | SAN FRANCISCO, UNITED STATES |
| 5 | PARIS, FRANCE |
| 6 | HOUSTON, UNITED STATES |
| 7 | CHICAGO, UNITED STATES |
| 8 | AMSTERDAM, NETHERLAND |
| 9 | DALLAS, UNITED STATES |
| 10 | DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES |
Singapore leads Asia Pacific
Consistent with the outbound business travel data from Australia, Singapore, Auckland and Hong Kong remain unchanged as the top three cities for inbound business travel. Shanghai is ranked sixth for business travel to Australia, however since China has become the biggest business travel country in the world, it is likely that international travel spend will rise which could positively affect its place in future rankings.
| Top 10 APAC cities visiting Australia for business | |
| Rank | Origin city |
| 1 | SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE |
| 2 | AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND |
| 3 | HONG KONG, CHINA |
| 4 | TOKYO, JAPAN |
| 5 | BANGKOK, THAILAND |
| 6 | SHANGHAI, CHINA |
| 7 | KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA |
| 8 | WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND |
| 9 | DELHI, INDIA |
| 10 | BANGALORE, INDIA |
Notes to editors
All data presented here is provided by American Express Global Business Travel Global Business Consulting, and is based on actual bookings through American Express Global Business Travel between between March 2016 – February 2017.
About American Express Global Business Travel
About American Express Global Business Travel
American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) equips companies of all sizes with the insights, tools, services and expertise they need to keep their travellers informed, focused and productive while on the road. With approximately 12,000 employees and operations in nearly 120 countries worldwide, American Express GBT empowers customers to take control of their travel programs, optimizing the return on their travel and meetings investments, while, more importantly, providing extraordinary traveller care.
Learn more at amexglobalbusinesstravel.com and amexglobalbusinesstravel.com/content. Follow us @ twitter.com/amexgbt.
American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) is a joint venture that is not wholly owned by American Express Company or any of its subsidiaries (American Express). “American Express Global Business Travel,” “American Express,” and the American Express logo are trademarks of American Express and are used under limited license.
Media Contacts:
Sarah Blades
American Express Global Business Travel
+61 2 9271 1467
[email protected]
Andrew Hamilton
Mana Communications
+44 (0) 7528 378 114
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