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…
Fresh from the GBTA Convention in Orlando last week, I am still processing many of the amazing moments. Coming back together truly reinforces the power and value of meeting in person. Feedback that kept coming up in discussions with Convention attendees last week centered around quality. Quality of the content featuring important topics for our industry right now. Quality in the education programs offered across all levels. And quality in the meetings held on the Expo floor and in the hallways. Many education sessions…
Business travel recovery in 2021 proceeded at a slower, more cautionary pace than expected from a year ago. However, global business travel spending is expected to surge in 2022 with full recovery expected in 2024–ending the year on pace with the 2019 pre-pandemic spend of $1.4 trillion, and a year sooner than previously forecast. This…
I wasn’t sure what I’d be feeling on the eve of this 2021 GBTA Convention. The GBTA Team is here in Orlando, connecting, collaborating and putting on the finishing touches as we get ready to welcome thousands of business travel industry colleagues, partners and friends after nearly a 2 ½ year pause for the pandemic….
Last week I joined GBTA’s VP of Government Relations, Shane Downey, for an event in Washington, D.C. featuring U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen, Chair of the Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade and Export Promotion. We were able to grab a few minutes with Senator Rosen to talk more about the proposed omnibus bill — the Travel and Tourism Act, aka the “TourBus” aimed at helping the industry recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. This came on the…
Through the twists and turns that have marked the past 19 months, we’ve all continued to navigate to what’s next. For GBTA, that includes how to host an annual convention that re-connects the global business travel industry, safely and responsibly, after a break of over two years amid a lingering pandemic. Last week we all got some positive news. The Biden Administration announced the lifting of COVID-19-related travel restrictions beginning November 8 for fully…
Education, learning and professional development sometimes don’t get the credit they deserve for how much they do to inform, inspire, engage and advance us. But at GBTA, they are not unsung heroes–they are the stars. When it comes to volume, breadth and relevancy, GBTA takes deep pride in leading the industry in year-round learning and…
Born in Germany and based out of Mexico, Maren Hanschke brings with her more than 20 years of travel industry experience, specializing in Business Travel and Global TMC´s. She graduated with a Business Management Degree at the Universidad Iberoamericana Golfo Centro in Puebla, Mexico and is fluent in 3 Languages. Consolidating and structuring the FCM…
Hi everyone! I recently spoke with a journalist for a Bloomberg article who asked the question: “What will a strong recovery for business travel look like and when will it happen?” After some discussion, we pretty much landed on: “It depends how you’re measuring recovery and also whom you ask.” The question came on the heels of the Biden Administration’s loosening of restrictions for international travel to the U.S. This was welcome news across our industry, in the U.S and globally. But we also…
Many are enjoying the last days of seasonal breaks, kids are headed back to school, and the last business quarter of 2021 is around the corner. And typically, the weeks ahead are busy ones for business travel, meetings and conferences. But thanks to the realities of the ongoing pandemic, again this year, the world looks different. And that includes for…
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