GBTA Calls for a Coordinated Approach to Restore Safe Travels

And an end to ineffective quarantine rules

Brussels (10 December 2020) — GBTA (Global Business Travel Association), the voice of the global business travel industry is calling for closer co-operation and coordination when the European Council meet this week to discuss COVID-19, climate change, security and external relations.

The European Council are meeting to review the current situation with the pandemic and to discuss a coordinated strategy in response to COVID-19, including work on vaccines and testing, and the gradual lifting of restrictions.

“GBTA are once again urging the European Council to strengthen coordination at an EU level, and calling for greater transatlantic collaboration to ensure a safe and internationally consistent return to business travel” said Catherine Logan, Regional Vice President – EMEA, GBTA, adding “GBTA supports the move to ease quarantine restrictions following findings from the EASA/ECDC* which found that air travelers account for less than one percent of all detected COVID-19 cases and do not increase the rate of virus transmission. Clearly ad hoc quarantine rules are hugely damaging to our industry and have little impact on traveler safety, a consistent approach to testing prior to departure is required to restart global business travel and restore consumer confidence.”

* European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

CONTACT:      

David Leibowitz (NORAM), 602-317-1414, david@leibowitzsolo.com

Nikki Stimson (EMEA), +44(0) 7764 618199, nstimson@gbta.org

About the Global Business Travel Association

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area with operations on six continents. GBTA’s 9,000-plus members manage more than $345 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA delivers world-class education, events, research, advocacy, and media to a growing global network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts. To learn how business travel drives lasting business growth, visit www.gbta.org.