Business travel is travel undertaken for work or business purposes, as opposed to other types of travel such as leisure trips or daily commuting between one's home and workplace. It typically involves travelling from one's regular place of business - often by air, rail, or road - to attend meetings, conferences, trade shows, or other professional events that require in-person interactions.

People participating in jobs in which the primary activity involves travel, such as trucking; where the employee works in the field full time, such as wind turbine technicians; or where the employee's regular place of work changes periodically, such as travel nursing, are also types of business travelers.

Historically, in-person meetings have been viewed as critical for activities such as closing deals, networking, and conducting negotiations. However, advances in digital communication tools over the last few decades have started to reshape this landscape. The rise of videotelephony and other virtual collaboration technologies has made it increasingly feasible to hold effective meetings without requiring employees to travel, causing a recent reduction in business travel.