Driving continues to be the most popular mode of transport for UK business travellers on domestic trips, according to a new study from the UK government¡¯s Department for Transport.

The report, carried out by research firm Ipsos, found that 29 per cent of UK domestic trips were undertaken by car last year ¨C ahead of rail (25 per cent) and internal flights (14 per cent).

UK car use for business trips in 2024 was down slightly on pre-Covid levels when they accounted for 31 per cent of journeys in 2019, while rail travel was up by two percentage points and domestic flights by 4 points over the same five-year period.

Ipsos carried an online survey of 1,000 decision-makers on business travel across a range of UK firms, covering both domestic and international corporate travel.

¡°Whilst cars remained the dominant mode for domestic business travel, there was a shift towards greater use of domestic air services and long-distance and inter-city rail,¡± said the report.

The research showed that smaller businesses saw the ¡°strongest recovery¡¯ in domestic trips, with 71 per cent of their employees making at least one domestic trip per month. These travellers were also ¡°most likely to have used cars¡± for these journeys.

Meanwhile, the overall frequency of UK domestic travel across all firms was ¡°expected to remain stable over the next 12 months¡±.

The top purposes for domestic trips were client meetings (67 per cent), general business (57 per cent) and conferences (56 per cent).

The proportion of employees making international business trips was 23 per cent in 2024, which was down from 27 per cent in the year before the pandemic. This figure was also expected to ¡°remain consistent¡± at 23 per cent over the next year.

For employees who travelled overseas for work, 43 per cent did so at least once a month, which included 28 per cent who travelled internationally between one and three times per month.

Unsurprisingly, air travel dominated the mode of transport for international trips with 90 per cent of all firms using flights last year, followed by train (37 per cent), car (25 per cent) and taxi (20 per cent).

For the next 12 months, 37 per cent of UK companies who plan to travel internationally expected a rise in their air travel, with increases also forecast for train travel (29 per cent) and car use (30 per cent).

¡°Increases in usage of all major modes are expected for the next 12 months, with air and car usage being expected to increase the most,¡± said the report.

¡°It is important to note that some transport modes for international travel often involve the use of additional modes of transport, such as cars, ferries or rail.¡±

Europe was the top destination in 2024 with 84 per cent of UK firms travelling to the continent, followed by North America (43 per cent), Middle East (23 per cent), Central and Eastern Asia (18 per cent), and South and South-East Asia (17 per cent).