Adelaide Jumps Global Rankings as Top Business Travel Destination

Adelaide has been named one of the world's top three emerging international business travel destinations in a new global report. The city joins Hyderabad and Manchester as the fastest-growing business travel spots globally.

The recognition comes from American Express' Trendex: Business Travel Edition, which identified Adelaide's growth using commercial customer airline transactions over a 12-month period between 2024 and 2025.

Adelaide's rise to prominence has been driven by increased corporate travel spending, major commercial developments, growing innovation precincts, and a record expansion of the city's international aviation network. One significant addition was United Airlines' direct service between San Francisco and Adelaide, launched in December 2025.

The report found that 93% of business travellers planned to attend major events while travelling for work in 2026, with 84% agreeing that investing in events helped their company stand out from competitors. South Australia's growing events calendar includes international fixtures such as LIV Golf Adelaide and the arrival of MotoGP on a new Adelaide street circuit in 2027.

Minister for Tourism Emily Bourke said the international recognition would deliver benefits well beyond the business events sector, citing the flow-on effects to local businesses and the state's economy. The report also identified artificial intelligence as an emerging priority, with AI usage among business travellers almost doubling year on year.