Travel Professionals Accept Direct Booking is Here to Stay,  Work to Gain Visibility into Cost Savings and Risk Management
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Travel Professionals Accept Direct Booking is Here to Stay, Work to Gain Visibility into Cost Savings and Risk Management

A new study from the GBTA Foundation, in partnership with Concur, explores priorities and challenges corporate travel programs face today. As the travel industry evolves in response to mobile technology and employee direct-booking behavior, travel professionals are finding they need to modernize their travel programs not only to control costs, but also to increase overall…

December Message from the Office of the GBTA President

December Message from the Office of the GBTA President

*The following message was originally sent as an email to GBTA Members.* In the United States, we recently celebrated Thanksgiving, a time when we can take stock of all our many blessings. I continue to be thankful for the honor and privilege to serve as President of GBTA, and for all of the work that…

Week in Review
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Week in Review

Mergers and acquisitions are all the rage this week! Reuters reports Alaska Air completed its acquisition of Virgin America in a $2.6 billion deal. According to Buying Business Travel, Lufthansa Group completed its acquisition of Brussels Airlines, purchasing the remaining 55 percent of shares for €2.6 million. Financial Times reports car rental company Europcar announced plans to acquire…

Lodging for the Modern Business Traveler
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Lodging for the Modern Business Traveler

If you’ve ever had a terrible lodging experience, you know that the accommodations you choose can make or break your trip. Choosing the right place while on business travel is especially important, as there are certain amenities you can’t afford to miss out on, like free Wi-Fi. In recent years, companies have begun capitalizing on…

The Future of GBTA Education in China

The Future of GBTA Education in China

In July of 2014, the GBTA Foundation announced the “Gift of Knowledge” initiative in China to bring industry-leading education to this rapidly growing market. As the world’s largest business travel market, there was a clear need for innovative, comprehensive education for business travel professionals in China. Through a collaborative partnership with a leading Chinese educational…

Travel Pricing in the Year Ahead

Travel Pricing in the Year Ahead

Earlier this year, Advito released a 2017 Industry Forecast that predicts pricing across key travel areas, noting the difficulty in projecting demand due to uncertainty surrounding the U.S. presidential election. Despite the element of uncertainty, Advito predicts a five percent to six percent increase in hotel rates and flat pricing for airfare and car rental…

Qatar Airways Gains Approval to Purchase Latam Stake
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Qatar Airways Gains Approval to Purchase Latam Stake

Late last week, Brazil’s competition regulator Cade approved Qatar Airways’ stake purchase in Latam Airlines. Earlier this year in July, Qatar Airways agreed to acquire up to 10 percent of Latam’s shares, granted they moved forward with a $613 million capital increase. Around the same time, GBTA’s Nancy Tudorache had an opportunity to chat with…

How Safe Are Your Hotels?
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How Safe Are Your Hotels?

Are your employees trained to recognize and avoid threats while traveling? What perils will your business travelers face and what protective measures do you currently have in place? Top executives from iJet, International SOS, and New York Life Insurance Company addressed these questions and shared ways in which companies can safeguard their business travelers in…

The Future of Marriott’s Brands
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The Future of Marriott’s Brands

A couple of months ago, Marriott International became the largest hotel chain in the world after closing on a $13 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. With 30 brands now under one umbrella, there has been much speculation over Marriott’s plan to manage them all. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Marriott began implementing a strategy…

A Milestone in Sustainable Travel
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A Milestone in Sustainable Travel

Just last week, Alaska Airlines used a wood-based biofuel to power a cross-country flight from Seattle to Washington, D.C. The flight was powered by a jet fuel blend containing 20 percent renewable biofuel made from the leftovers of logging. The airline reports it could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 142,000 metric tons of CO2 annually…