As travel takes off again, corporates are increasingly booking travel for in-person meetings, conferences and events with some surprising destinations both in Australia and overseas on the radar.
FCM data reveals both Dubai and Cairns have soared as business travel destinations of choice for corporates flying out of Australian airports.
Internationally, Dubai was up 55 per cent on pre-COVID levels with Port Moresby up 46 per cent, Bangkok seeing an increase of 31 per cent and Johannesburg and London rounding out the top five, up 29 and 28 per cent, respectively.
FCM previously tipped Singapore to lead the post-pandemic business travel revival.
In Australia, regional destinations have taken off for business travel. Cairns is up 76 per cent, Broken Hill is seeing a 69 per cent increase, Ballina is up 56 per cent and Rockhampton and the Sunshine Coast, are at 39 and 32 per cent, respectively.
Flight Centre Corporate ANZ Managing Director Melissa Elf said Dubai has the ideal geographic position for business travellers due to its central location easily reached by a single flight from most global economic hubs.
“Aside from having one of the largest airport hubs globally, the most populous city in the UAE is also serviced by most major air carriers and has some of the best hotels in the world,” Ms Elf said.
“Since the pandemic, we’ve seen a dramatic rise in corporates wanting to turn their business trip into a ‘bleisure’ trip, one of the many reasons Bangkok has experienced such a take-off with major cities like London maintaining a strong growth as one of the world’s economic capitals.”
Domestic regional travel on the rise
Regional travel has seen a dramatic post-pandemic rise with 2022 flight bookings 10.5 per cent higher than 2019 and Queensland landing eight of the top 10 destinations.
Ms Elf said regional centres on the coast offer scenic locations with many providing upgraded corporate spaces for potential cost savings for businesses.
“It’s no surprise businesses are now looking to regional areas with one eye on the wellness of their people by being beside the ocean,” Ms Elf said.
“There’s also the low availability in state capitals and major cities as big businesses return to face-to-face interactions along with regional areas offering better value for money for corporations willing to travel somewhere different.”
Read on to discover healthy travel tips for businesses and corporates here.
To find out more, visit fcmtravel.com
