Cities & Trends Europe 2025 edition

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry Core Insights - Business travel serves as a barometer for economic growth, with volumes reflecting the health of economic activity in regions [2] - The report highlights the top destinations for European business travelers based on flight and car rental data from 2024 [2] - The geopolitical landscape remains complex, but global business travel growth in 2024 exceeded expectations, indicating positive momentum for 2025 [8] Summary by Sections Top 10 European Cities - The ranking of European cities for business travel in 2024 remains largely unchanged, with Stockholm moving up to 9th place, pushing Brussels to 10th [4][6] - Growth in Western Europe's business travel is primarily driven by real estate activities, followed by the arts, entertainment, and recreation sectors [4] Top 10 Countries - Germany remains the most visited European country, with Spain and Sweden moving up to 6th and 9th places, respectively [10] - Italy shows the strongest increase in inbound business travel at 21%, driven by economic recovery and expanded airline operations [11][15] Top 10 Routes - London is the most popular hub for European flights, with eight city pairs in the top 10 routes [17] - The most popular intercontinental route is from London to New York City [21] Cabin Class and Flight Type - For European flights, 92% of business travelers booked economy class, while intercontinental flights are evenly split between business and economy class at 44% each [22] - Most European flights (85%) are direct, while only 52% of intercontinental flights are direct [23] Car Rental Insights - 21% of air bookings in Europe included a rental car, with Germany leading in car rental cities [31] - An imbalance between supply and demand has led to significant price increases in car rentals, with expectations of further rate hikes in 2025 [35]