And what if the virtual did not replace the present one, quite the contrary? In his latest analysis, Navan points to a « Striking paradox » : « While remote work and AI were originally intended to replace in-person meetings (…) the companies that develop AI are now the ones that travel the most for business ".
Backed by figures, TMC believes that « AI companies are fueling a boom in business travel »According to Navan’s booking data, IA companies’ spending on flights and hotels has increased by 160 % compared to the previous year, reaching more than $225 million over the last 12 months ending June 2026. Moreover, IA companies are experiencing growth in flight volume at least 7 times faster than all other sectors, with a year-on-year increase % of +121, compared to +17 for % Tech in the broader sense and Financial Services.
However, this dynamic does not benefit all destinations to the same extent. In this regard, it should be noted that Paris stands out as a major global destination for AI companies. «Paris is emerging as a major global destination for AI companies,» assures Navan, who ranks the French capital 9th worldwide and even 2nd in Europe for hotel bookings made by AI companies. TMC estimates that flight bookings to Paris have increased by +102 %, and that flight expenses have increased by +53 % over the past year. Paris would thus rank as the 5th European city for the volume of flights made by AI companies.
The same is true for the hotel industry %: bookings from IA companies in Paris increased % by +109 compared to last year, while hotel spending rose by +101 .
But the real crossroads of artificial intelligence is elsewhere. As the authors of the Navan report summarize, «London plays in a category of its own: the British capital hosts more AI-related business flights than Dublin, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, and Stockholm combined.» The only European destination in the top 10, London also hosts the main corridor for AI business travel. The San Francisco-London flight line accounts for more than 2,400 flights and about $13 million in spending.
Michael Sindicich, President of Navan, testifies:« We were told that face-to-face meetings and handshakes were going to disappear. Then the idea came that AI would make human relationships unnecessary. The opposite is happening: AI values face-to-face interactions more than ever before. No technology can replace being in the same room, looking each other in the eyes, and building a relationship of trust. ".
