In a study conducted earlier in 2019, New York was named the world’s top destination for global business travel for the fourth consecutive year. London and Paris followed and Shanghai took fourth spot, showcasing China’s rapid growth as a 21st-century business travel hotspot.
However, the Big Apple has once again proven that it is still the world’s leading financial centre. Renowned for its association with industries such as banking, finance and technology, the city is also home to booming creative industries such as digital media, advertising and fashion.
Yet there’s more to New York’s global appeal than its high-profile corporate culture. For those staying in New York on business, there’s a prized work-hard-play-hard approach to be taken advantage of and a huge range of things to see and do.
What Makes New York So Popular with Business Travel?
The easy answer is that there is so much business conducted in New York on a daily basis, and where business exists, the demand for business travel follows suit. In fact, the demand for business travel is so great in New York that, between January 1st 2014 and December 1st 2018, business travel flight bookings increased by more than 120%, perfectly displaying the city’s hold on the business travel market.
With so many high-profile industries condensed into one place, New York City is thought to be one of the best places to network and seek out new business opportunities, which is why so many individuals visit New York for conferences, meetings and industry talks.
Finally, New York is also popular for business travellers because of its equally well-known status as an iconic leisure destination. In 2017, the city welcomed over 62 million tourists from all over the world and city officials projected this figure would rise to 65 million in 2018.
With bleisure travel – the idea of blending business with leisure travel – becoming much more common in recent times, it’s no wonder that New York business travellers are making the most of their trips to the Big Apple.
New York’s Business Travel Infrastructure
With New York being so popular among business travellers, the city has developed a robust infrastructure that has been designed around that success of that sector. From conference spaces to meeting places and an array of innovative spots to host an event, there are so many reasons why New York is a city geared toward business travel.
Venues such as 583 Park Avenue and the Helen Mills Event Space offer the ideal place to host an event, while the Katra Lounge and the Broadway Lounge offer a more stylish, intimate atmosphere.
New York is also home to a number of popular coffee shops, bars and lounges that offer business travellers that chance to hunker down in a well-loved spot and crack on with some work.
WhyNot Coffee & Wine, a well-known coffee shop in Soho, was once described as “an entrepreneur’s dream” due to its vibrant atmosphere and creative buzz. The café is usually humming with young professionals and bright minds.
Things to do in New York
For those keen on getting away from work, nowhere offers more to see and do than New York City. From checking out iconic landmarks such as the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, to exploring up-and-coming areas such as Brooklyn and the Bronx, city visitors will rarely be at a loss for things to get up to.
New York is also great for work drinks with friends or colleagues. Bars in Manhattan like The Happiest Hour and the Sake Bar Decibel are perfect for post-work drinks and catch-ups.
Staying in New York
With temporary housing in New York coming in all shapes and sizes, making a choice can be overwhelming.
As experts in business travel and global mobility, our aim is to make the booking process as easy and stress-free as possible. Our temporary housing portfolio stretches all over Manhattan and features a range of exclusive benefits that a standard hotel room can’t match.
Head over to our New York serviced apartments and get in touch today.