Adelaide has been named one of the world’s three fastest-growing emerging destinations for international business travel.
The South Australian capital appears alongside Hyderabad in India and Manchester in the UK in American Express’s latest Amex Trendex: Business Travel Edition report. Destinations were selected using American Express commercial customer transactions with airlines, measuring growth over a 12-month period between 2024 and 2025.
The report attributes Adelaide’s performance to a rise in corporate travel spending and commercial development, and points to the city’s innovation precincts, international transit capacity and recent airline route expansions.
Among those expansions was the first direct air service between the United States and South Australia. United Airlines began flying San Francisco-Adelaide in December 2025, contributing to Adelaide Airport’s busiest year on record.
Damien Kitto, chief executive of Business Events Adelaide, said: “Our reputation as a clean, green, boutique city is well established, but it’s great to see growing recognition of our expertise in industry sectors of increasing global importance. Adelaide offers a unique setting without the cost and complexity of larger cities.”
He said affordability was proving a further draw for event organisers: “For event organisers weighing up costs, Adelaide consistently comes out ahead – from venue hire to accommodation and delegate spend, it stretches budgets further without compromising on quality.”
Emily Bourke MLC, South Australia’s Minister for Tourism, said: “When people travel to Adelaide for business, the flow-on benefits for local businesses and the state’s economy are far reaching, from accommodation and hospitality bookings to local transport companies and tourism operators.”
