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GBTA Brings Industry Voices to Capitol Hill to Champion Business Travel’s Value and Economic Impact

ByTara Erwin

120 GBTA members from across the U.S. engaged national lawmakers during GBTA’s annual U.S. Legislative Summit to advocate for policies that support economic growth and global mobility

Bringing the voice of business travel to Capitol Hill, 120 Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) members and stakeholders from 31 states convened in Washington, D.C. this week for GBTA’s annual U.S. Legislative Summit 2026, advocating for policies that strengthen an industry that drives $624 billion in annual economic impact in the U.S. and accounts for 2.1% of the nation’s GDP.

Held June 9-11, the Summit brought together industry professionals to network, learn and engage directly with legislators, culminating in more than 120 Capitol Hill meetings where GBTA members from 30 chapters delivered a unified message: Business travel is a powerful economic driver for good across the United States.

Key to the week’s discussions was the recently released “GBTA U.S. Economic Impact Study: Business Travel’s Impact on Jobs and the U.S. Economy.” In addition to economic and GDP impact, the new study also outlines how business travel to and within the U.S. drives $148.6 billion in tax revenue and supports 6.7 million U.S. jobs.  

Summit attendees also advocated for policies essential to ensuring a connected, resilient travel ecosystem including:

  • enhancing the traveler experience
  • supporting Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) personnel
  • modernizing the U.S. air traffic system
  • avoiding burdensome entry processes and
  • advancing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) solutions.

“GBTA’s annual Legislative Summit has long been a powerful bridge between GBTA members and our elected officials,” said Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA. “This week we brought a clear message to lawmakers: Business travel drives measurable economic value, jobs and connectivity within communities nationwide. And smart national policies — from air traffic system modernization and border-crossing efficiency to sustainable aviation fuel production incentives — are essential to a stronger, more resilient travel ecosystem.”

Speaking Directly with Representatives: Setting the Policy Agenda for Business Travel

Summit attendees discussed perspectives directly with members of Congress at the briefing day, including Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI), Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS), Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE), Rep. Tony Wied (R-WI) and Arian Beckwith, Deputy Chief of Staff for Rep. John James (R-MI), on critical topics including aviation continuity during government funding lapses; stronger passenger protections; restoring SAF tax incentives; and protecting the integrity of U.S. entry processes.

In more than 120 Capitol Hill meetings, attendees shared GBTA’s policy priorities for U.S. business travel. GBTA constituents emphasized several key policy priorities, with a focus on:

Ban In-Flight Calls to Preserve the Business Traveler Experience

  • GBTA urges Members of Congress to support legislation that ensures a consistent, enforceable framework for in-flight communications that protects passengers, supports airline operations, and preserves the integrity of the business travel experience.

Keep America Flying Act – H.R. 5851 & S. 3031

  • The bipartisan bills provide funding for both TSA personnel and FAA employees by continuing appropriations to pay air traffic controllers, essential FAA employees and certain TSA employees if regular funding lapses.


The “Securing America’s Fuels (SAF) Act” (SAF Act), H.R. 6518 and S. 3759  

  • The bipartisan bills aim to restore the SAF production tax credit to $1.75 per gallon and extend the 45Z credit through 2033 to boost domestic fuel production and support agricultural, aviation, and rural jobs. 

GBTA also urged Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) to sign a bipartisan letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin, which asks DHS to provide clear guidance on Visa Integrity Fee reimbursements, preserve Electronic System for Travel Authorization’s (ESTA) efficiency and accessibility for legitimate business travelers, and assess the economic impact of any proposed changes before implementation.

Matthew W. Daus, Esq., Chair of the Transportation Research Center at City University of New York (CUNY), delivered a keynote on the trends, challenges and emerging technologies shaping the future of safe, efficient and affordable ground transportation and mobility.

The GBTA U.S. Legislative Summit is the only event in the U.S. that advocates for legislation to improve resilience within the business travel industry. This year’s Summit was made possible by Delta Business, Enterprise Mobility, United for Business, Wagner Hospitality Management and Cornerstone Information Systems.

For more information about GBTA’s advocacy priorities in the U.S. and Europe, go to gbta.org/news-advocacy/advocacy/.