In 2020, the pandemic brought business travel to a standstill. Airports stood empty, with tumbleweed rolling across the runway. We quickly got used to this new normal and it felt like it would never end.

But business travel has rebounded faster than we ever expected it to. While there are still reminders here and there of the grip COVID-19 had on the world, the last couple of years have been a real example of “business as usual”, with important executives jet-setting across the world again. But where are they going?

At Givetastic, we wanted to find out the world’s most popular business trip destinations. We scraped the latest 1,000,000 Instagram posts with the hashtag #businesstrip and checked their geotag information to see where they were taken. We investigated the top 10 destinations globally, for each continent, and in the UK.

Let’s see where business is booming in this post-pandemic world!
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Methodology

• We conducted a comprehensive scrape of the latest 1,000,000 Instagram posts featuring the hashtag #businesstrip.
• The study exclusively incorporates post-pandemic data, spanning from October 2022 to February 2024.
• To identify the geographical location of each post, we analysed its geotagged information.
• Posts lacking geotagged information were systematically excluded from the study to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the data.
• The study focuses exclusively on cities.
• Data correct as of February 2024.
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Global List: Miami Has Caught The Wave To The Top

Globally, Miami is the most popular business trip destination with 12,925 geotagged posts. This sultry city of sun is the ultimate destination for those who like to work hard and play harder. Miami has a diverse economic landscape, with a strong presence in international trade, real estate, aviation/aerospace, and travel, among many more areas.

Other vibrant US cities are featured in the top 10 global list. New York takes 3rd spot (9,812 posts) and Las Vegas in 4th place (8,954 posts). New York is home to Wall Street where the New York Stock Exchange resides. It’s also a hotspot for media and entertainment, as well as fashion and retail. Las Vegas is a major destination for hospitality and gaming, shows, sports, and conventions.

Europe has a strong presence in the top 10, with London in spot 2, Paris in 5th place, and Milan in 9th position.

Singapore and Tokyo are in 7th and 8th place respectively, representing South East Asia.

Dubai makes the mark for the Middle East, claiming 6th position with 7,678 geotagged posts.
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North America: Miami Palm Trees Have Outgrown The New York Concrete Jungle

Miami stands proud as the most popular in North America with 12,925 geotagged posts. It is significantly more popular than New York City in second spot, which has 9,812 geotagged posts.

This finding is very interesting since Miami has been touted as the place to replace NYC as the finance capital of the world in the very near future.

US cities dominate 9 out of 10 spots on this North American list. Las Vegas, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Atlanta, and Dallas assume the remaining positions.

The only non-US city is Toronto, in 10th place with 2,750 geotagged posts. This Canadian city is known for the Bay Street financial district and the Toronto Stock Exchange, which is one of the largest in the world.
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Europe: London Has Kept Calm and Conquered

“From Paris to Berlin and every conference room I’m in…” - high-flying business execs are swapping the disco for the boardroom, and these European cities are so stunning they would make anyone’s heart flutter.

The top 10 list is made up of 7 different countries, all of which are western European cities. 6 of the 10 cities are capital cities (London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, and Vienna).

London tops the European list with 10,516 geotagged posts. London is home to the City of London, a leading financial district. This is where the London Stock Exchange and the Bank of England HQ resides.

Germany is a popular hub for business travel, with Berlin in 5th (3,740), Frankfurt in 8th (3,487), and Munich in 9th place (2,409). Germany has a strong presence in the automotive arena, producing some of the world’s best known auto brands, BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Porsche, and Volkswagen. German engineering is renowned worldwide.

Italy is also popular, with Milan in 3rd and Rome in 6th place. Italy is a global leader for fashion and design, with the Gucci, Prada and Versace fashion houses. It also has a strong automotive presence, with Fiat, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati.
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Middle East & Central Asia: Dubai Is A Hot Destination, In More Ways Than One

Now a trip to the Middle East and Central Asia! Dubai tops the list with 7,678 posts. Dubai offers various Free Zones and tax incentives to attract investment from abroad. Its economy is very diverse, prominent in trade, aviation, technology, tourism, and more.

Istanbul is second on the list, with 2,904 posts. Istanbul is known for trade and manufacturing and textiles. The Istanbul Stock Exchange also showcases the city’s strength in the financial arena.

Konya is the other Turkish city on the list, with 506 posts.

Saudi Arabia also has two featured cities, Riyadh (1,012 posts) and Jeddah (330 posts), as does the UAE with Abu Dhabi (935), in addition to Dubai.
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Rest of Asia and Oceania: Singapore Has The Lion’s Share Of Business Trip Visitors

Singapore sticks the top spot in Asia and Oceania with 7,062 posts, also making it number 7 in the world. Singapore is a major financial player, home to the Singapore Exchange. It attracts multinational corporations because it is a business-friendly environment and a politically stable region.

Tokyo follows closely with 6,831 posts, pinning it at 8th in the world. Tokyo is a technology superpower, with headquarters for companies like Sony, Panasonic, and Toshiba. It’s a key region for automotive manufacturers too - Toyota, Honda, and Nissan are also stationed in the city.

Interestingly, only one city from Oceania made the list - Sydney sits in 5th place, with 3,993 posts. Sydney has a key role in financial services in the Asia-Pacific region, and is home to the Australian Securities Exchange.
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Africa: Marrakech Has Woven Its Magic And Claimed Top Spot

Marrakech tops the list in Africa. The city has 1,221 geotagged posts. Marrakech is a thriving tourist destination. It is attractive to researchers and business executives for its rich culture and history.

Morocco is working towards becoming a more prominent player in the global business world, with Casablanca leading the way with finance. It earned a 7th place spot, with 339 posts.

Lagos, Nigeria comes in second with 935 posts. Lagos is a major economic hub, not just in Nigeria, but in Africa as a whole. The Lagos Financial Centre is the HQ to many International banks and investment firms. Lagos is also the home to the Nigerian Stock Exchange and “Yabacon Valley”, a hotspot for young tech companies. It’s no wonder it’s competing for a top spot on this list.

Abuja, another Nigerian city, sits in 8th place with 297 posts.

Cape Town comes in 3rd place with 572 posts, one of the two South African cities on the list (Johannesburg is 10th place). Cape Town’s economic landscape is ever-evolving and incredibly diverse. It’s known for tourism/hospitality, renewable energy, and film/media, among many other areas.

Other destinations on the list include Kenyan cities Nairobi in 4th and Mombasa in 6th, Cairo in Egypt in 5th, and Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania in 9th.
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South & Central America: São Paulo Hits All The Right Beats

São Paulo is first on the list for South and Central America, with 715 posts. It is home to the São Paulo Stock Exchange. The Avenida Paulista business district is filled with skyscrapers which house the offices of prominent financial institutions.

Fellow Brazilian city, Rio de Janeiro, is in 4th place with 332 posts. It’s best known for tourism but also has a strong presence in the oil and gas sector, as well as shipping and exporting.

Santiago, Chile and Bogotá, Colombia, come in 2nd and 3rd with 561 and 398 geotagged posts respectively. Both are homes to Stock Exchanges and thriving financial districts.

2 other Colombian cities feature on the list - Cartagena (277 posts) and Medellín (176 posts). Cartagena has a significant maritime trade, as well as a Free Trade Zone which promotes international trade. Medellín is known in the fashion industry, hosting the annual Colombiamoda fashion week.
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UK: London Takes The Crown As The Most Popular UK Business Destination

Our final section looks at the most popular business trip destinations in the United Kingdom. London sweeps up first place by a landslide, with 10,516 geotagged posts. In addition to its financial prowess, it has a high concentration of prestigious law firms and other professional services, like accountancy and consultancy.

Manchester is 2nd, with 1,375 posts. In Manchester, you’ll find the Spinningfields district, home to financial and professional services. Nearby Salford has a flourishing media sector too.

Birmingham is 3rd, with 1,177 posts. It is known for the Colmore Business District, where financial and professional services workers are building up Birmingham’s reputation in the industry.

These 3 cities are also the UK’s 3 largest cities.

2 Scottish cities, Edinburgh (704) and Glasgow (418) feature on the list. Edinburgh plays a key role in banking, with the Royal Bank of Scotland HQ for example. Its tourism and hospitality sector is pivotal to the city's economy. Glasgow is growing a name for itself in the renewable energy sector and is crucial in research and development with two leading educational institutions, University of Glasgow and Strathclyde.

Belfast is the only Northern Irish city on the list, with 387 posts. Belfast is a hub for aerospace engineering and a growing centre for information technology and cybersecurity.
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Conclusion

The top 10 list of most popular business trip destinations is dominated by 3 continents: North America (4 cities), Europe (3 cities), and Asia (3 cities). US cities make up all the North American spots.

These cities are attractive to business trippers for their diverse economies. They are famous for their financial districts, legal services, tourism/hospitality/entertainment industries, and more. These cities represent opportunity.

Africa and the Middle East have significantly fewer geotagged posts, but these cities are always developing a more commanding presence in the world economy.

Miami has been a surprise number 1 entry, shaking off its connotations as a Spring Break destination! High-powered business elites are noticing the rise and rise of Miami, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has even said he’s moving back to Miami, and Amazon is looking for a 50,000 square foot space.

The city's football team, Inter Miami, have also successfully attracted football icon, Lionel Messi to join their ranks. This strategic acquisition is yielding a substantial boost to the local business ecosystem.

It will be interesting to see how much this list changes in this post-pandemic world.