Top 10 UK cities welcome nearly 5m annual business visits: New levy raises concerns
New research has revealed the UK cities driving business travel into the UK, welcoming the highest share of overseas inbound corporate visitors.
This comes as a proposed levy could increase entry costs for all international travellers – including those visiting on business – which could hinder inbound business traveller volumes going forward.
Industry leaders warn that the new measure could result in significant economic damage, with the World Tourism Council predicting tens of thousands of job losses among UK SMEs.
In light of this, the business travel experts at Booking.com for Business have analysed ONS data to reveal the UK cities that currently welcome the biggest proportion of inbound overseas business travellers to the UK.
You can view the report in full here: Business Travellers to the UK
Most visited UK cities for Overseas Business Travellers:
Rank | City/Town | Business Visits | Share of Overseas Inbound Business Visitors to the UK |
1 | London | 3,315,000 | 57.89% |
2 | Birmingham | 406,000 | 7.09% |
3 | Manchester | 306,000 | 5.34% |
4 | Edinburgh | 140,000 | 2.44% |
5 | Glasgow | 125,000 | 2.18% |
6 | Oxford | 110,000 | 1.92% |
7 | Cambridge | 93,000 | 1.62% |
8 | Liverpool | 90,000 | 1.57% |
9 | Luton | 81,000 | 1.41% |
10 | Aberdeen | 70,000 | 1.22% |
Source: ONS
London
London is by far the most visited UK city for international business travel, with 3,315,000 business visits, representing 57.9% of all inbound business travel in the dataset.
This reflects London’s role as the UK’s global business hub: it hosts the headquarters of the country’s largest corporations, international banks, legal and professional services firms, and many multinational operations. As the UK’s primary international hub, London’s concentration of global corporate activity naturally attracts high volumes of inbound travel for meetings, negotiations, conferences, and client engagements.
High connectivity, including multiple major international airports and extensive public transport, supports frequent inbound visits, making London the focal point of these travel patterns.
Birmingham
Birmingham ranks second with 406,000 business visits (7.1%). This reflects the West Midlands city’s role as one of the UK’s most important regional business centres, with a strong base in manufacturing, logistics, and professional services.3 The city also benefits from its central location, making it a practical destination for organisations managing travel across multiple UK sites.
In addition, Birmingham’s national connectivity, including fast rail links to London and access to international routes via nearby airports, supports its role as a high-volume hub for inbound corporate travel.
Manchester
Manchester ranks third with 306,000 business visits (5.3%). Manchester’s economy, characterised by technology, media, advanced manufacturing, and finance, underpins its role as a major northern business centre.4 Direct international connectivity through Manchester Airport reduces the need for London transfers, making it attractive for inbound travel from Europe and beyond.
This proximity to global routes, combined with strong local business infrastructure, helps explain Manchester’s position in the ranking.
Joshua Wood, director of Business Travel at Booking.com for Business, shares his perspective:
“With more than 60% of inbound UK business travel coming from just seven countries, and the vast majority landing in the capital city, the data shows how predictable international business travel demand into the UK really is.
“For businesses, knowing which routes and cities carry the highest volumes of inbound trips is more than a nice‑to‑know statistic – it points SMEs to the corridors with the best connections, backup options, and on‑the‑ground facilities, and the ones where they can often secure better fares and rates.
“When you fold those insights into a simple travel policy and manage trips through a tool like Booking.com for Business, you can help your business travellers have easier, less stressful journeys while controlling your travel budget and benefitting from exclusive rates.”