Where will your business Travelers be jetting off to this year? These are a few of the top emerging business travel destinations for 2025.

You probably have a few key destinations that your Travelers seem to visit regularly. Maybe it’s a destination where your industry boasts a particularly important hub. Maybe it’s a destination where your company specifically has a few key clients. However, other business destinations can change from year to year. Industries change. Hubs migrate. Certain destinations build up infrastructure. They have started to attract certain large conferences or the MICE market in general.

So where can you expect to be booking travel in the months ahead? These are some of the fastest-growing and top emerging business travel destinations at the current moment.

7 Top Emerging Business Travel Destinations for 2025

Princeton, New Jersey

You know it for the university. Business Travelers are beginning to know it for its AI tech and life sciences companies. Do your Travelers work in either of these industries? You may find yourself booking more travel to this relatively small town.

Princeton does not boast a large airport right in the immediate vicinity. However, it’s still easy to reach from the airports that are within driving distance or a quick train ride. It’s also easy to reach from major cities such as New York City and Philadelphia.

South Africa

The World Travel and Tourism Council has two South African cities in its list of predicted major corporate travel destinations that will take over in popularity by 2032: Johannesburg and Cape Town. Both are easily accessible from most major international travel hubs. 

South Africa, in general, has become a popular option for outsourcing, and according to industry experts, 2025 looks especially bright for South Africa as a business travel destination. The country is predicted to experience doubled economic growth in 2025. A 17% growth in business travel arrivals is likewise expected for the year. Already, though, South Africa boasts a big business travel market. It’s double that of Africa’s second-biggest business travel market, in Ethiopia. By 2032, cities within the MEA region, such as Cape Town, are forecast to have the largest Travel & Tourism business spend share, 49% – much like the 2019 rankings of 45%.

Durham, North Carolina

This one might not surprise you, as its popularity as a business hub has been growing for quite a while. Durham is part of North Carolina’s “Research Triangle,” along with Raleigh and Chapel Hill. This is where you’ll find universities like Duke, North Carolina State and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Triangle is also home to a large number of tech companies and life science companies.

Getting your Travelers to Durham is easy, thanks to the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, with connectivity to other hubs around the United States and beyond. However, from there, they may need to get a rental car in order to get around the region.

Travel to Durham is increasing in general. In 2023, the destination experienced a 10% jump in visitation and visitor spending, totaling 13 million visitors and more than $1 billion in spending (via ABC11).

Southwest Michigan

Southwest Michigan has recently attracted several corporate headquarters across several industries for a versatile mix.

Several months ago, Michigan also achieved the overall tenth spot in Area Development’s annual Top States for Doing Business report. According to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, “By leveraging innovation, collaboration and our rich natural resources, Michigan is not only competing on the national stage but also leading the way in creating long-term economic opportunities…”

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Emerging as the Middle Eastern destination to watch for upcoming business travel, Riyadh is becoming what some call a “powerhouse.” 

Saudi Arabia as a whole has seen major improvements across a variety of industries. As Reuters reported in July, “Saudi Arabia is in the midst of a massive economic overhaul known as Vision 2030 aimed at ending its reliance on oil. Its sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), is spearheading the effort that has seen billions spent on everything from electric vehicles to sports and futuristic cities in the desert.” 

The country’s GDP is expected to grow nearly 5% in 2025.

Singapore

The World Travel and Tourism Council predicts that the Middle East and Asia Pacific countries, in general, will see the largest jump in business travel spending by 2032. While Jeddah and Riyadh will lead the Middle East, it’s Singapore that will lead as one of the biggest business travel destinations in Asia for the coming years.

Already no stranger to business travel, Singapore was also one of the first Asia Pacific destinations to rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Global Business Travel Association noted that the return to international business travel fueled growth in Singapore, as well as nearby Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Additionally, HospitalityNet reported that, as of 2024, Singapore was the top destination for APAC travelers, particularly when it comes to MICE travel, thanks to the destination’s robust connectivity via Singapore Changi Airport.  

Sacramento, California

As the capital of California, Sacramento may not get as much business travel love as Silicon Valley. However, you may find yourself booking more travel for Sacramento in the near future, as the city attracts business in the semiconductor and life sciences spaces. 

Luckily, the Sacramento International Airport is undergoing a massive expansion in 2025–2028, which will make your Travelers’ experience all the easier and more convenient once construction is completed.

Need Further Business Travel Insights?

Check out the JTB Business Travel Waypoint blog and get all the latest information on business travel trends as they progress throughout 2025. Whether it’s keying you into the top emerging business travel destinations or informing you of the latest about NDC, we have all the basics covered.

Sources

Wondering how we compiled our list? These emerging travel destinations have been reported by industry experts and publications, including Skift and the World Travel and Tourism Council.