Move over, NYC — these cities are emerging as the new business travel hot spots

• Business travel to more affordable cities is rising, according to two firms that book work travel.
• Data from Engine suggests business travel demand is booming in cities like Tampa and Charlotte.
• Business travel boomed in 2024, but corporations are also looking for cost-efficient options.

Traditional business travel hot spots like New York City, Las Vegas, and Chicago are facing some new competition.

Employers are increasingly looking toward destinations with more affordable prices and other perks for business travelers, said Ariel Katen, director of product with a focus on group bookings at Engine, a work-travel management platform.

"We're seeing a lot of up-and-coming cities, like in Florida, which is really interesting," Katen told Business Insider, adding that a new crop of cities is becoming more popular for businesses to host events for their teams.

"If you had to get the entire team down somewhere, where are you going to find more affordable hotel rooms? Is that New York City or is that Tampa?" she said.

A 2024 study from Deloitte found that while businesses were largely planning to increase their spending on corporate travel, some were concerned about high prices and looking for ways to cut back on costs, like by requiring lower-cost flights or hotels.

Data from Engine and other travel platforms suggest that more affordable cities, including in the South, are becoming increasingly popular for business travel.

Here are five trending business-travel destinations.

Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina, was among the cities Engine identified as growing in demand for business travelers, citing a 5% year-over-year increase in room pricing as of January.

FCM Travel, another corporate travel management platform, also identified Charlotte as a top city for business travel in its 2024 report, released in December. The company found that business travel to Charlotte increased by 9% year over year in 2024.

Orlando

Katen said Orlando was one of the Florida destinations trending for business travel, with infrastructure for conventions and entertainment options contributing to its appeal, especially in the age of blended travel, or "bleisure."

FCM Travel also found that business travel to Orlando increased by nearly 11% year over year in the second half of 2024, more than any other city.

Nashville

FCM Travel found that business travel to Nashville increased by more than 8% year over year in the second half of 2024.

Nashville has transformed into a booming business hub in recent years, driven in part by industries like healthcare and tech.

Denver

Engine said Denver has shown sustained room price increases for corporate bookings, as the city's mix of convenient amenities and access to the outdoors appeals to leisure travelers. Hotel room pricing was up nearly 6% year over year in January, according to data Engine shared with BI.

FCM Travel also found business travel to Denver increased by 5% year-over-year in 2024.

Tampa

Data from Engine showed Tampa as another trending Florida destination, with hotel room pricing up a whopping 16% year over year in January.

Tampa has been identified as an emerging tech hub and has experienced an increase in startups post-pandemic.