New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, San Francisco and Chicago are the most expensive U.S. cities in which to travel to conduct business, according to Business Travel News' 2009 Corporate Travel Index, its annual examination of the daily costs to stay in a hotel, eat three meals and rent a car in 100 business travel destinations in the United States.
Hotel, rental car and dining costs registered only modest increases when compared with last year's index. After years of price increases, on-the-ground T&E expenses are not likely to grow much this year as the travel industry faces the slumping demand of the recession.
This year, as in the past, hotels represent the single largest component of non-air expenses, which account for about 42 percent of the travel dollar, while dining expenses, which represent 30 percent of the daily cost to do business, take a larger bite out of daily travel spending than rental car pricing.
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For a FREE look at the 2009 Corporate Travel index via the digital edition of Business Travel News, click here. To subscribe to the print or digital editions, click here.Domestic Business Travel Pricing Growth SlowsNew York once again is the most expensive city in which to do business, anchored by high hotel costs that far surpassed any nightly rates in any other U.S. city. This year, as in the past, hotels represent the single largest component of non-air expenses, which account for about 42 percent of the travel dollar, while dining expenses, which represent 30 percent of the daily cost to do business, take a larger bite out of daily travel spending than rental car pricing.
Int'l Per Diems Illustrate Europe's PrimacyJust how expensive corporate travelers will find the cost of doing business outside the United States in 2009 will depend largely on a single question: Is their trip to Europe or another part of the world? If the answer is the former, then the price of a hotel for the night and three square meals is likely to be much higher, as the 19 most expensive cities in the 2009 BTN International Corporate Travel Index are all in Europe.
Per Diem ChartsTop 100 U.S. City Per Diems
Alphabetical List Of U.S. Cities
Hotel Costs In 100 U.S. Cities
Food Costs In 100 U.S. Cities
Car Rental Costs In 100 U.S. Cities
Top 100 International Per Diems
International Cities, Alphabetical
Hotel Costs In 100 International Cities
Food Costs In 100 International Cities
City Profiles
New York: Wall St. Crash Ameliorates Hotel Rate GrowthHong Kong: Deals To Be Had In Transpacific SqueezeDoha: Demand Driving Luxury Hotel Builds, Rates