Regional trips lead business travel in Australia, according to new Corporate Traveller data, which revealed a 13 per cent year-on-year jump in regional corporate travel bookings from July – September 2024.

Despite aviation turbulence due to the collapse of Bonza and Rex this year, the data shows Australia’s regional business travel growth demand remains robust.

Regional travel is the fastest-growing segment in business travel – even with capacity constraints on regional flights and challenges in the aviation sector following Bonza’s liquidation and Rex’s uncertain future this year.

However, industry watchdogs have expressed concerns over potential hikes in regional airfares due to reduced competition.

Looking ahead, the Federal Government threw Rex a $80 million lifeline to keep its regional routes running during the voluntary administration process, extended until June 2025 while administrators look to source a buyer.

Regional business travel takes off

Hubs such as Mackay, Cairns, Townsville, Gold Coast, Kalgoorlie, Rockhampton and Newcastle have emerged as key regional business travel destinations, driven by federal investment and the booming renewable energy, agriculture, tourism and mining industries.

Australian small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) also lead the world in domestic business travel frequency.

Corporate Traveller Global Managing Director Tom Walley said the findings underscore the crucial role of regional Australia with business travel growth to continue into 2025.

“We book thousands of regional business trips every month for customers spanning construction, mining, financial services, consultancies, government and retail,” he said.

“We expect the demand for regional travel to maintain this rate of growth as more investment pours into these areas, particularly in the renewable energy sector.

“The strong growth in regional destinations reflects the expanding opportunities in these hubs. It’s essential for the aviation industry to support this growth to ensure capacity keeps up with demand and airfares remain competitive,” he said.