London pipped by New York as top destination for business trips

London is the world's second most popular business destination but is facing stiff competition from Paris. 

The capital was once top of the rankings, but was overtaken by New York four years ago. This year, 10 per cent more business travellers booked flights to New York than London, flight data from Egencia shows.

But London could be catching up with the Big Apple, with business flights up by 10 per cent so far this year. Meanwhile, new business trips to New York are lagging behind, with the number of flights growing half as fast as those headed towards London. 

Paris, which ranked third, has been looking increasingly popular this year, with the number of trips rising far faster than those to either London or New York. The French capital has solidified its status as a European business hub. So far this year, business flights to the city are up by more than 20 percent on 2017.

“In Europe, global travellers are taking more business trips to Paris, which is perfectly in line with President Macron’s drive to position France as a global commercial hub,” said Scott Chapman, Egencia's the managing director in the UK. 

Shanghai, China’s fast-growing commerce centre, is the fourth most popular business travel destination internationally this year.