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Check-In with Suzanne

GBTA continues to get back to business around the world. And we continue to be bolstered by our active and knowledgeable volunteers working across the local, regional and global levels.   Last week’s GBTA Europe Town Hall – the first for 2022 and hosted by Catherine Logan, GBTA Regional Vice President, EMEA – (virtually) welcomed…

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Travelling in the EU is complex 

Don’t have your booster jab?  Travelling in the EU is  complex  The European Commission has agreed on new recommendations to limit the validity period of the EU Digital Covid Certificate to 270 days for those who haven’t yet received a COVID-19 booster jab.   The 270-day period is calculated from the day of the second dose and…

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Check-in with Suzanne

It feels like only yesterday that we wrapped the 2021 GBTA Convention in Orlando. Yet, we’re fully focused now on the 2022 Convention, August 14-17 in San Diego, CA, and registration will open soon. (Sign up for updates!)  And thanks to your 2021 post-Convention feedback, we are building on both our successes and areas needing improvement for 2022 to Re(Connect), Re(Imagine) and (Re)Create to deliver the most relevant and engaging events in the COVID-era.  And by the way, we hit an all-time response record for attendee feedback! The diversity and quantity of feedback will play a significant…

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Long-Term Global Business Travel Outlook Remains Strong But Omicron Variant Dampens Near-Term Momentum 

Alexandria, VA  – New variant developments, government restrictions, and international policy inconsistencies are currently hindering a more accelerated return for global business travel. However, the industry continues to reflect progress and optimism in its long–view expectations for 2022, according to the latest poll from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s largest business travel association and leader in education, research, networking and advocacy.  “Here at the start of a new year, the business travel industry and business travelers continue to face a dynamically changing landscape due to Omicron. One comment received from a poll respondent readily sums it up: ‘Uncertainty is a…

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Check-in With Suzanne

We’ve turned the page on a new calendar year, and challenges of the pandemic remain. But there are glimmers of progress as the first hot spots of omicron plateau and start to cool off, in what will hopefully be a trend that continues. On Thursday, we’ll release the January GBTA COVID-19 poll findings which reflect the current state of business travel including the impact of the omicron variant.   This month we saw a positive indicator for larger in-person conferences. The Consumer Electronics Show – billed as the “most influential tech event in the world” – returned as a…

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Travel Program Communication During COVID-19 and Beyond: What Business Travelers Want to Know and How They Want to Hear It

Alexandria, VA  – As business travel resumes amid an ongoing pandemic, keeping connected with business travelers has taken on renewed urgency for companies and their travel managers. It’s critical for travelling employees to stay on top of changes and it has accelerated the need for travel managers to communicate often complex, fast-changing information while not…

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As omicron emerges, the business travel industry shows concern for potential economic impact but stays the course on returning to corporate travel

The recent emergence and yet-unknown trajectory of a new COVID-19 variant is the latest development on the road to recovery for the business travel industry. Due to the omicron variant, many business travel practitioners are concerned about the potential economic impacts in the industry. Most companies, however, are taking a wait-and-see approach before introducing new…

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Check-In with Suzanne

Is anyone completely comfortable yet with “expecting the unexpected”? Me either. Not an easy task in current times, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some upsides amid the challenges.  The omicron variant is one of the latest developments testing our resolve. On Thursday, GBTA will release the findings from our special quick poll about the emergence of omicron as another twist in…

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Check-in With Suzanne

It might have felt like déjà vu this past week as the world started to assess the fast-emerging news about the omicron variant. Earlier in the year, we faced the discovery of the delta variant and whose effects we are still tracking. New COVID-19 developments will likely continue for the foreseeable future and will demand our ongoing agility and resiliency.   GBTA is staying agile, too. Out of an abundance of care and safety, working with our VDR partners In Europe, we made the decision to reschedule what would have been this week’s GBTA Europe Conference. (From the feedback we received, we know many of…

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GBTA Calls for Clear and Consistent Approach to Travel Restrictions in Light of the Omicron Variant

As regions and governments around the world assess the potential impact of the fast-emerging omicron variant, and therefore what actions to take, GBTA continues to encourage a clear, consistent and thoughtful approach, especially in terms of keeping country borders open to travelers. GBTA supports that any actions taken should focus on vaccination or recovery status…