Delivering Sustainability Results with Supplier Partners

Sustainability in Action… So far in my sustainability series posts we have talked about the principles, opportunities and benefits from creating a ‘Responsible Travel Program’. Let’s now look at a real-life example of how working with your suppliers can deliver a great program, and a significant return on investment. Autodesk is a global leaders in…

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Extended Stay Accommodations: Satisfaction, Preferences & Challenges

Earlier this month, GBTA released a study on extended stay accommodations in partnership with WWStay. It looked at usage patterns and preferences finding differences across generations and genders when it comes to U.S. international business travelers and also covered how extended stay accommodations fit into travel policies. This post looks into satisfaction, preferences and challenges…

Millennials Want to Travel More for Business
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Millennials Want to Travel More for Business

A new study released today from the GBTA Foundation, in partnership with American Express, reveals that Millennials are significantly more likely to want to travel more for business than Baby Boomers (45 percent to 26 percent, respectively). In addition, a majority of Millennials (57 percent) believe technology can never replace face-to-face meetings to get business…

Government Shutdown More Than Just Political Theater
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Government Shutdown More Than Just Political Theater

In a couple short weeks, we will face a political standoff over the debt ceiling and the prospect of yet another government shutdown a few weeks after that. An op-ed from GBTA ran on The Hill’s Congress Blog this week about the lasting and real impact this is having on the economy. I know the Trump 2016 reality…

Week in Review

This week in business travel news CNN reported on the increasing bleisure travel trend looking at the new breed of traveler who is mixing business with leisure. They turned to GBTA’s ranking of the top 15 business travel markets to see where travelers are “splashing the cash” on these trips. Bloomberg covered the GBTA Foundation’s…

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Airfares Drop Due to Plunge in Oil Prices, But Rising Fees Negate Savings

The GBTA Foundation released its quarterly U.S. business travel forecast last week. It included a projection that average airfares have dropped to $379 this year, down from $392. This is a long anticipated drop for consumers due to the collapse in global oil prices. I talked about this phenomenon with Fortune’s Chris Elliott who wrote…

Travel Buyers Show Strong Support For Current Distribution System
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Travel Buyers Show Strong Support For Current Distribution System

On September 1, the Lufthansa Group implemented a €16 per booking surcharge on travel purchased anywhere other than its websites, service centers and airport ticket counters. This morning we issued the findings from a new global survey conducted by GBTA and its European partner network showing 42 percent of travel buyers surveyed have decreased bookings with Lufthansa since it…

BRICs No Longer a Bloc for Business Travel Growth

This morning we released findings from GBTA’s BTI™ Outlook semi-annual forecast reports on Brazil, China, India and Russia, sponsored by Visa, Inc. Our VP of research, Joe Bates, is also presenting the results this week at ITB Asia in Singapore. In the latest round of forecasts, we found the BRICs are no longer acting as…

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Companies Must Address the Glaring Gap in Ground Transportation Policies

American business travelers are masters at understanding the planes, trains and automobiles that we all rely on. We know just when to arrive at the airport so we can make it through security and walk onto the plane. We know which train is likely to be on time, and which one is always delayed.  And…

UK Offers New Expedited Entry Program

UK Offers New Expedited Entry Program

*Updated – November 3, 2015, 11:30AM* U.S. Customs and Border Protection made its official announcement today about the expansion of Global Entry to UK citizens. UK citizens can register for Global Entry beginning December 3. Read the full release from CBP and see the latest coverage from Tom Newcombe of Buying Business Travel.  Are you a…

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How Extended Stay Accommodations Fit Into Travel Policies and What That Means for Duty of Care

Last week GBTA released a study, in partnership with WWStay, which revealed that nearly half (48 percent) of all U.S. business travelers have used an extended stay accommodation in the past 12 months when traveling internationally for business. An intriguing finding from the study showed that 60 percent of business travelers who use extended stay…

U.S. Business Travel Spend Growth Slows in 2015

U.S. Business Travel Spend Growth Slows in 2015

Today, GBTA released our third quarter outlook for U.S. business travel, and it clearly shows the effects caused by an uncertain global economic environment. U.S. business travel spending will increase by 3.1 percent in 2015 and 3.7 percent in 2016. While this is still positive growth, it is down from our July projections of increased…