U.S. corporate travelers spend an average of $700 of their own money out-of-pocket per trip, with that money most frequently going toward dining expenses, according to a Booking.com for business survey of 502 U.S. professionals who travel for business.
The survey, conducted from Nov. 22 to Dec. 4 in 2023, showed U.S. domestic travelers typically spend $500 of their own money per trip, while international travelers spend up to $2,000 per person. Sixty-three percent said they spend out-of-pocket on dining expenses. Other frequent expenses in the survey include entertainment (57 percent), tips and gratuities (55 percent) and souvenirs or gifts (48 percent).
Travelers were less willing to spend their own money on upgrades, according to the survey. Only 23 percent said they spent out-of-pocket for room upgrades, and 18 percent said they spent their own money on airline seating upgrades.
Career development was the most frequently cited benefit of business travel in the survey, listed by 42 percent of respondents. That was followed by networking (38 percent) and gaining knowledge (32 percent).