Singapore’s strategic location, robust economy, and pro-business infrastructure have played a crucial role in its dominance
Singapore has solidified its position as the most visited city in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region for business travellers, according to Cities & Trends 2025 Asia Pacific Report, released by BCD Travel, a corporate travel management firm.
In a press statement, BCD Travel says that the report, based on flight and rail data from 2024, highlights Tokyo and Hong Kong as the second and third most popular APAC destinations, respectively.
The statement adds that on the intercontinental front, Frankfurt, London, and San Francisco emerged as the top three cities for business travel.
BCD Travel says Singapore’s strategic location, robust economy, and pro-business infrastructure have played a crucial role in its dominance and the city-state saw a 20 pc increase in business travel compared to the previous year.
The statement adds that factors such as visa-free policies within South East Asia, increased flight capacities, and reduced airfare have further boosted its appeal.
BCD Travel adds that Tokyo climbed to second place with a 38 pc growth in visitors, followed by Hong Kong and other cities like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, and Seoul maintained their positions in the top 10, while Sydney made its debut at number 10.
According to the press statement, the intercontinental rankings were led by Frankfurt, London, and San Francisco, and notably, five of the top 10 cities are in Europe, while the remaining five are in North America.
The statement says that Bengaluru emerged as a key hub for intercontinental routes originating from APAC, with routes to Frankfurt, London, and Seattle ranking among the top 10.
The report adds that Singapore also dominated the busiest air routes. The Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route topped the list, reflecting strong regional connectivity. For intercontinental travel, Bengaluru-Frankfurt was the most frequented route. Interestingly, Shanghai-San Francisco climbed from 17th to 10th place among intercontinental city pairs.
The statement adds that high-speed rail systems in China and Japan continue to attract business travellers due to their efficiency and sustainability and popular routes include Changsha-Shenzhen in China and Tokyo-Osaka in Japan.
The travel management company says that the report also revealed that 84 pc of APAC travellers booked economy class for regional flights, while intercontinental travel showed an even split between economy and business class bookings.
The statement says that as APAC accounted for 42 pc of global business travel spending in 2024, these insights underline the region’s growing importance in corporate travel strategies. Singapore’s continued leadership highlights its status as a global hub for meetings and events.
“Providing employees with resources or the latest trends in sustainability practices is the first step. Leveraging this information in an internal, online booking tool can allow them to find the details they need at their command, when they want. Externally, it is key to engage travellers by communicating through your various company channels,” says Olivia Ruggles-Brise, VP of Sustainability, BCD Travel.
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