What is business travel? Definition, types, and examples

Business travel refers to trips taken for work-related purposes, such as sales calls, customer visits, conferences, or training. Even with video conferencing tools like Zoom becoming widespread, many companies still rely on travel for building relationships, closing deals, and employee development.

A 2024 Harvard Business Review study found that 60% of respondents expected increased business travel for the year. Understanding its purpose, types, and challenges can help your business plan more effectively.

What is business travel?

Business travel is any work-related trip that takes an employee away from home for at least one day. It doesn’t include daily commutes or personal vacations.

Unlike leisure travel, which is meant for rest and recreation, business travel ties directly to your job responsibilities. Common reasons include meeting with clients, attending conferences, or participating in training programs.

Types of business travel

Business travel varies based on where you’re going, how long you’ll be away, and whether you’re traveling alone or with a group. The main categories are:

Domestic vs. international

Domestic travel takes place within your home country. For example, you might travel to Chicago for a technology conference. International travel involves crossing borders, such as attending a client’s quarterly meeting in Paris.

Short-term vs. long-term

Short-term trips usually last just a few days—for instance, sending your advertising team to another city to oversee a photoshoot. Long-term trips can stretch from weeks to months. A common case is when a company opens a new office and a leader spends the first two months on-site to manage hiring and onboarding.

Individual vs. group

Individual travel is when one employee handles a specific assignment, like sending your IT lead to a three-day workshop. Group travel involves multiple employees traveling together—for example, your entire sales team attending a trade show to generate new business.

Each type comes with its own logistics, costs, and benefits, so it’s important to understand the distinctions when planning and budgeting.

Why do companies invest in business travel?

Business travel fuels growth by making it easier to build trust, close deals, and collaborate in real time. The Global Business Travel Association reports that for every dollar spent on business travel, there is a return of $1.15 into the economy.

Key reasons companies invest in business travel include:

• Relationship building: In-person meetings strengthen trust and connection in ways phone calls and video conferences can’t
• Closing sales deals: Showing up signals commitment and can tip negotiations in your favor
• Attending industry events: Conferences and trade shows offer opportunities to network, share ideas, and showcase your brand
• Training and development: Hands-on learning can be more effective than remote training
• Operational oversight: Being on-site allows leaders to evaluate compliance, spot risks, and solve problems quickly

Company growth and employee development

Corporate business travel can open doors for your company both literally and metaphorically. It can expose you to new markets, enhance your brand engagement, improve the quality of your service, and help retain clients.

Corporate business travel can help employees with their personal career growth, which, ultimately, makes them more engaged and valuable team members. There are opportunities for networking, developing new skills, and visiting new places.

Common examples of business travel

Business travel takes many forms depending on a company’s goals. Here are some of the most common scenarios:

Sales representatives visiting clients

Meeting with prospects or existing clients in person can help secure deals and strengthen relationships. You might negotiate a new or existing contract, install equipment, or conduct maintenance for a customer. In-person visits also make it easier to confirm compliance and align expectations.

For example, if your company produces an innovative medical tool, demonstrating it live to a hospital team allows you to answer questions on the spot and show the product in action. These face-to-face conversations often carry more weight than remote demos and can directly influence the outcome of the deal.

Company leaders attending conferences

Conferences, exhibitions, and trade shows provide exposure to new vendors, networking opportunities, and industry insights. Presenting or exhibiting can also raise your brand’s profile.

Team-building and training

Off-site retreats and training sessions help distributed employees connect and collaborate. These trips can strengthen team bonds, spark new ideas, and double as professional development opportunities.

For instance, if you own a small restaurant, sending your managers to a specialized industry training could lead to new approaches for scaling production, optimizing your supply chain, and staying compliant with food safety regulations. The investment in travel often pays for itself in the efficiencies your team brings back.

Internal corporate events or meetings

Bringing remote or distributed teams together in person fosters stronger collaboration and camaraderie.

Project team site visits

When a project depends on a specific location, gathering the team on-site makes it easier to oversee progress, align efforts, and solve problems.

For example, a mid-size software company sent its sales team to a global tech trade show. Beyond closing two major deals on-site, the team came back with dozens of new leads that helped the company expand into new markets within six months.

Importance of business travel

Business travel is often a company’s biggest expense after payroll, but it’s also a worthwhile investment. In-person meetings strengthen relationships, support employee development, and help companies expand revenue.

Building relationships and networking

Travel helps your company and employees connect with a broader network of clients, partners, and talent. In-person meetings increase trust, resolve questions faster, and allow for more nuanced conversations than phone or video calls. A recent SAP Concur Global Business Travel survey confirmed that 94% of business travelers believe trips are essential to their success.

Professional development opportunities

Employees who travel for work gain exposure to new markets, perspectives, and practices. These experiences build confidence, expand networks, and enhance cultural competency. According to the Deloitte Corporate Travel Study, two-thirds of respondents said spending on training and development is increasing, which includes travel, leading to higher employee satisfaction.

Expanding business and generating revenue

Companies often use travel to assess new opportunities and evaluate return on investment. For example, a manufacturer might send representatives abroad to determine whether opening a new facility makes sense. A 2023 Tourism Economics survey showed that many organizations saw reduced business travel during the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affect financial performance (35%) and customer acquisition or retention (42%).

Challenges and considerations

While business travel delivers clear benefits, it also comes with costs, fatigue, and logistical hurdles. Plan carefully to manage these risks and keep travel productive.

Common challenges include:

• High costs: Flights, hotels, meals, and other expenses add up quickly. Use corporate travel management tools and set clear travel expense policies to keep spending under control.
• Time away from home: Extended trips disrupt routines, family obligations, and work-life balance. Minimize travel when possible, schedule midweek or one-day trips, and allow flexibility after employees return.
• Travel fatigue: Frequent trips can cause burnout from poor sleep and unhealthy routines. Support wellness on the road with gym access, planned rest time, and options like bleisure travel.
• Logistics: Flight delays, lost luggage, and multi-leg itineraries create stress. Book through centralized systems with real-time updates and always have a backup plan.
• Safety concerns: Unfamiliar locations can raise safety risks. Use your travel policy to outline precautions, emergency contacts, and company support so employees feel secure.

Trends in business travel

With the challenges that come with traveling for business, many companies have made changes recently, supported by trends to support their teams better. Here are a few:

• Virtual meetings: Many companies reserve travel for high-value interactions, using video calls for routine updates
• Remote work on location: Employees extend trips by working remotely, often blending business and leisure
• Post-Covid travel policies: New protocols ensure health and safety after lessons learned during the pandemic
• Sustainability: Employees and companies alike are seeking greener ways to travel and reduce carbon footprints

Best practices for successful business travel

Travel isn’t just about getting from point A to point B — it’s about making each trip count. These practices help companies control costs, keep employees safe, and maximize productivity.

Booking

Use travel booking tools to find savings on flights, hotels, and rental cars. Expense management platforms can track spending automatically, while consumer apps like currency converters and eSIMs help travelers on the go.

Expense management

Require employees to capture receipts and submit them digitally. Receipt scanner apps and tools like Ramp streamline expense reports, giving finance teams real-time visibility into spending.

Productivity

Travel time on planes, trains, or in airports can be used for email, meeting prep, or reviewing proposals. Encourage employees to schedule buffer time for rest, since fatigue lowers productivity.

Health and safety

Encourage healthy habits on the road: stay hydrated, get enough sleep, and eat well. Packing basics like vitamins, hand sanitizer, and an airplane pillow can make trips more comfortable. Safety should also be top of mind — research local conditions, share itineraries, and avoid traveling with valuables or large amounts of cash.

How Ramp transforms business travel from expense headache to strategic advantage

Managing travel expenses can feel like herding cats: you’re juggling bookings across platforms, chasing receipts, and enforcing policies while reimbursements pile up. Meanwhile, employees lose hours on manual reports, and finance teams lack visibility until it’s too late.

Ramp’s integrated approach eliminates these pain points through unified booking and real-time expense tracking. With Ramp’s travel booking software, employees book flights, hotels, and rental cars directly within the platform while automatically staying within company policies. Approvals, vendor preferences, and price limits are enforced at the point of booking.

Every booking flows into Ramp’s expense management platform. Transactions made with Ramp cards appear instantly with merchant details and categories, while travelers can snap receipt photos on the go. This automation gives finance teams real-time visibility into travel spend, helps negotiate better vendor rates, and reduces time spent on administrative work.

Unite your business travel and finance operations with Ramp

Getting ROI from business travel requires coordination across teams. Ramp makes it simple by uniting travel managers, finance leaders, and employees in one platform.

Ready to transform your travel program? Check out an interactive demo to see how Ramp can work for your business.