New research has revealed the top countries of origin for business travellers visiting the UK

March 21, 2026

This week, the government has announced plans to build closer ties with the European Union to cut the cost of doing business and reduce friction at the border, potentially paving the way for smoother business expansion and travel across the regions.¹

In light of this, the business travel experts at Booking.com for Business have analysed ONS data to reveal the current top source markets of overseas business visitors to the UK.

You can view the report in full here: Business Travellers to the UK.

The top countries of origin for international business travellers to the UK:

Rank	Country of Residence	Share of Overseas Inbound Business Visitors to the UK
1	United States	12.1%
2	France	9.2%
3	Germany	8.5%
4	Republic of Ireland	7.3%
5	Poland	6.9%
6	Spain	6.4%
7	Netherlands	6.3%
8	Romania	4.2%
9	Italy	3.9%
10	Belgium	2.6%

Source: ONS

The US accounts for the largest share of international business travellers to the UK

The United States is the largest source market for inbound business travel to the UK, contributing 818,000 business visits, or 12.9% of the total in the dataset. In total, US business travellers spent over £1.3 billion, or £1,669 per person.²

This position reflects the scale and depth of the UK-US economic relationship. According to government statistics, the United States is the UK’s largest export market for services, accounting for over a fifth of total UK services exports, and a key source of foreign direct investment.³

European powerhouse countries remain major sources of UK-bound business travel

European countries together account for the majority of inbound business travel to the UK, with France (622,000 visits or 9.8% of total inbound travellers) and Germany (573,000 or 9%) ranking second and third, respectively. French and German business travellers to the UK spent a total of £367 million and £341 million respectively.²

France is one of the UK’s key trading partners for both goods and services. Department for Business and Trade statistics show substantial two-way trade and investment flows between the UK and France, supporting corporate travel for commercial decision-making, supplier meetings, and service delivery across sectors.⁴

Germany, Europe’s largest economy, also has deep commercial links with the UK. It remains one of the UK’s most significant trading partners in goods and services, meaning business travel is common for market access, supply chain coordination, and industry partnerships.³

Ireland, the UK’s nearest neighbour, provides the fourth most business travellers

The Republic of Ireland ranks fourth, with 497,000 inbound business visits, representing 7.8% of the total. Irish business travellers spent a total of around £215 million, which is far less than other nations with fewer visitors, perhaps indicative of the short distance and ease of travel between the two nations.²

Joshua Wood, Director of Business Travel at Booking.com for Business, shares his perspective:

“With more than 60% of inbound UK business travel coming from just seven countries, and the vast majority landing in the capital city, the data shows how predictable international business travel demand into the UK really is.

“For businesses, knowing which routes and cities carry the highest volumes of inbound trips is more than a nice‑to‑know statistic – it points SMEs to the corridors with the best connections, backup options, and on‑the‑ground facilities, and the ones where they can often secure better fares and rates.

“When you fold those insights into a simple travel policy and manage trips through a tool like Booking.com for Business, you can help your business travellers have easier, less stressful journeys while controlling your travel budget and benefitting from exclusive rates.”

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