Business-Trip Index — Canadian Holiday

Published on: Sunday, December 02, 2007       Comments (1)       Category: Global Mobility & Security,  Reality Check, 
The best cities to visit on business are those that combine good infrastructure with low prices. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s World Business Trip Index, Canada and Australia present the best locations thanks to their highly developed transport networks. A weak dollar has also made American cities more tempting. Cost has been a factor in reducing the appeal of European destinations, with only Vienna featuring in the top ten. But low prices are not enough to raise the pulling power of less developed cities. Tehran, the cheapest city to visit, remains one of the least attractive.

Surveys of this kind usually focus exclusively on costs. But this ignores the things that help to make business tolerable, or even a pleasure. Crime, climate, transport and recreation all play a part in this index, along with airport distances and the availability of good hotels. The Economist Intelligence Unit chose a broad cross-section of cost and comfort factors to form an index of 0-100, where a lower score implies a more attractive prospect for the business traveller.