Post by bellasunshine on Sept 28, 2013 2:24:45 GMT -5
Which city do business travellers spend the most time? According to Concur, a provider of travel and expense management services, London tops the list, followed by Shanghai, Singapore, Beijing and then Toronto.
London
The English capital is a global finance and business hub, home to many China tours multinational companies and the most visited city by business travellers in 2011. Contrary to popular belief, the city ranks sixth on the list of the world’s most expensive cities, but only Sydney beats London when it comes to the average amount spent on a hotel room -- it’s even more expensive than Dubai.
Shanghai
Almost half of the survey’s top 25 most visited cities are in Asia, so it’s not surprising that Shanghai ranks second. Located on China’s prosperous eastern shoreline, the city is the gateway to the country’s manufacturing heartlands. While lodging, dining and entertainment tend to be less expensive than in London, business travellers spend slightly 16% more on car rental in Shanghai.
Singapore
In the English-speaking financial hub for Southeast Asia, now a gateway to booming, resource-rich Indonesia, it is fairly economical to get around either by taxi, car rental or public transport. Yet business travellers to Singapore tend to spend Yangtze River cruises
slightly more money on dining out than travellers to London.
Beijing
Home to China’s political elite as well as many multinational companies and their economic interests, it’s no surprise that this northern capital ranks highly. “Many clients have long established business relationships here that must be Shangri-la tour nurtured by regularly making sales visits,” said Peter Muller, chief operating officer for Europe at ATPI, a travel management company. In Beijing, car rental is more expensive than London, but lodgings are nearly half the price.
Toronto
As the gateway to North America’s natural resources industry (mining, energy, oil and gas), Toronto has been getting increasingly popular as a place to do business. Pricewise, accommodation is competitive, but when it comes to entertaining China educational tours and dining out, Canada’s financial hub is even more expensive than London. On the entertainment stakes, Toronto is number five in the rankings, behind Tokyo first, then Copenhagen, Stockholm and Zurich in fourth.