London has pipped Paris and Berlin to be voted the most business-friendly city in Europe in a survey of more than 1,000 British business travellers.Research commissioned by UK and Irish hotels group Jurys Inn found that client meetings were the most common reason for travel, closely followed by training sessions, conferences, intra-company discussions,  and attending exhibitions and trade fairs.Amsterdam ranked fourth on the list of business-friendly cities among UK-based business travellers, with Manchester in fifth place.

UK business travel hotspots

"In fact, when asked about the most frequented UK city for business, over half (52 per cent) of UK business travellers stated that London is also one of the three UK cities they most frequently visit, followed by Manchester (29 per cent) and Liverpool (19 per cent)," said Jurys Inn."The research found that Cardiff, Aberdeen and Glasgow attract higher than average business travellers who work in the media, marketing, advertising and PR world, suggesting that these locations are fast becoming new creative hubs."Asked about the most common frustration with off-site meetings or conferences, 26 per cent of respondents complained that programmes or agendas were simply not of interest or ‘boring’. A fifth of UK business travellers claimed that poor planning was their main grievance."As organisations across the UK refocus on national and international growth, travel is firmly back on the boardroom agenda as leaders plan on increasing the number of business trips for employees over the next 12 months (34 per cent) or keeping it similar to the previous 12 months (54 per cent)," the report said.

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For more related news and features, visit our Business Travel section. 

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Jason Carruthers, managing director of Jurys Inn, commented: “It comes as no great surprise that London is the most frequently visited UK city for business purposes, but it is fantastic to see that our respondents consider London the most business friendly city in Europe, with Manchester and Liverpool also featuring highly in the ranking."It’s also extremely encouraging to see that Manchester ranked within the top five friendliest business destinations in Europe, ahead of Frankfurt and Brussels.

UK hospitality industry must keep standards high

“As the environment for business in the UK and Europe continues to flourish, so too has the travel and hospitality industry as it serves the needs of businessmen and women travelling across the globe."However, if the UK hospitality industry fails to capitalise on its position as an established international destination for companies of all shapes and sizes, our European neighbours and cities further afield, will profit from business travellers seeking alternative venues.”Relocate’s new Global Mobility Toolkit provides free information, practical advice and support for HR, global mobility managers and global teams operating overseas.Access hundreds of global services and suppliers in our Online Directory 

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