Which Cities Offer the Best Value for Business Travelers in 2025?

While hybrid work models continue to dominate corporate life, business travel is once again asserting its relevance. In-person meetings, long thought to be in decline, are proving their worth in boardrooms, breakout sessions, and business lounges worldwide.

According to Accor, professionals expect a 25 percent higher return from face-to-face meetings compared to virtual ones—a powerful statistic in a world driven by efficiency and bottom-line results.

Amid this resurgence, choosing where to travel for business has become a strategic decision. Booking.com for Business analyzed dozens of cities across the U.S. and globally, weighing factors such as affordability, infrastructure, safety, and connectivity.

The result: a new ranking of the best cities for business travelers in 2025.

Las Vegas: A Convention Mecca

At the top of the U.S. list is Las Vegas, with a business travel score of 6.86 out of 10. While it’s long been a hub for massive expos and trade shows, the study affirms that Las Vegas offers more than spectacle—it delivers value.

“Las Vegas consistently combines high-volume infrastructure with affordability and ease of access,” said Diana Filippova, Senior Director at Booking.com for Business. “That makes it a natural choice for corporate events and small business travelers alike.”

Photo: Courtesy of Delta Air Lines

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, making it as logistically efficient as it is cost-effective.

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.

Rising Stars for Corporate Travel

Second on the U.S. list is Irving, Texas, 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.

Table: Courtesy of Booking.com for Business

“Business travelers often seek destinations that offer predictability and value. Irving checks those boxes,” said Filippova. “Its low hotel costs and reliable internet make it especially attractive to solo travelers and small teams.”

Columbus, Ohio, ranks third (6.69), bolstered by its central location, reasonable costs, and pro-business climate. The 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.

Top Performers by Metric

Beyond the overall rankings, Booking.com’s report also analyzed cities by individual performance metrics:

• Orlando leads the country with 1,189 annual business events, from major trade shows to small networking expos.
• San Antonio offers the fastest internet speeds among ranked cities, at 321.75 Mbps.
• Pittsburgh has the lowest taxi fares, averaging just $1.92 per mile.
• Houston boasts the most coworking spaces (123) and the cheapest average hotel rate at $112.78 per night.
• Fort Worth offers the most affordable dining, with a three-course meal for two averaging $60.
• Irving earned the highest safety score, with a rating of 62.91 out of 100.

These numbers highlight how business travel value isn’t just about prestige or skyline views—it’s about logistical efficiency and cost control.

The Global Stage

Globally, Seoul leads the pack with a business travel score of 7.97 out of 10, outperforming other major cities like Tokyo, Berlin, and London. The South Korean capital offers a compelling combination of affordability, high safety, fast internet, and a thriving coworking culture.

Photo: Courtesy of Alaska Airlines

“Seoul represents the future of business travel—digitally advanced, extremely safe, and welcoming to international professionals,” said Filippova. “It’s a place where you can hold a strategy meeting in a glass-walled skyscraper, and an hour later be networking over bibimbap in a café filled with entrepreneurs.”

A conference capital in its own right, Seoul hosts hundreds of international events annually and is supported by a transit system that’s among the most efficient in the world.

Efficiency Meets Opportunity

Warsaw, Poland, ranks second globally (7.24), making a strong case for itself as Europe’s most underrated business hub. The city boasts over 5 million square meters of office 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.

Photo: Warsaw, Poland. Courtesy of Kamil Gliwiński / Unsplash

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 Numbers Behind the Rankings

Across all the ranked global cities, standout performers in specific metrics include:

• Tokyo for most global conferences.
• Madrid for fastest internet at 218.72 Mbps.
• Mexico City for both the lowest taxi fares ($0.64/mile) and most coworking spaces (246).
• Bogotá for the cheapest hotel stays ($47/night) and meals ($24.71 for two).
• Tokyo again for top safety scores.

Table: Courtesy of Booking.com for Business

The Takeaway: Strategic Travel Choices Matter

As businesses look to optimize costs and improve engagement, the decision of where to send employees is no longer just about convenience—it’s about return on investment.

“Where you travel for business can directly impact deal success, team cohesion, and overall productivity,” said Filippova. “The right city can empower a business trip to deliver tenfold results.”

In an increasingly globalized and mobile economy, these rankings offer valuable guidance. Whether you’re building partnerships in Asia, attending conferences in Europe, or managing remote teams across U.S. time zones, the city you choose shapes the outcome.

For now, Las Vegas and Seoul stand at the top—not just for their convention centers or affordability, but because they’ve adapted to the evolving needs of business travelers in 2025.