{"id":27132,"date":"2025-11-04T09:57:43","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T14:57:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gbta.org\/?p=27132"},"modified":"2025-11-04T13:06:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T18:06:00","slug":"from-green-growth-to-payment-pains-exploring-the-big-questions-facing-frances-business-travel-mice-sector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gbta.org\/pt\/from-green-growth-to-payment-pains-exploring-the-big-questions-facing-frances-business-travel-mice-sector\/","title":{"rendered":"From Green Growth to Payment Pains: Exploring the Big Questions Facing France\u2019s Business Travel & MICE Sector"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Val\u00e9rie Goll\u00e9ty, Country Director Fran\u00e7a<\/a>, GBTA

GBTA brought together over 200 travel and MICE professionals for its Carrefour des Experts* at the 2025 <\/em>IFTM<\/em><\/a> trade show in Paris. We explored topics ranging from sustainability to payment challenges to the ever-persistent issue of \u201chotel leakage\u201d. GBTA’s Val\u00e9rie Gollety shares her perspective on some of the key discussions and insights from the day.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decarbonising Business Travel: Strategies and Stumbling Blocks \u00a0<\/strong>

We know that sustainability plays a major role in shaping European companies\u2019 business travel strategies, with 98% of firms now considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in travel decisions. But how are they putting these ambitions into practice?

An expert panel, which included representatives from the worlds of air travel, IT and travel consulting, examined some of the initiatives currently being used, including a \u201cfull train\u201d travel policy, \u201cfull electric\u201d vehicle usage, business versus economy class, frequent flyer programs and purchasing usage, and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). While SAF is a key part of the decarbonisation journey, it is currently expected to play a more modest role in the near term, with potential to grow over time.

According to panelists, another big stumbling block for businesses aiming to achieve green growth is the lack of consistent methodologies for calculating CO\u2082 emissions, especially in air travel and hotel stays. This makes it harder for companies to track, manage and ultimately reduce their carbon footprints.

Panelists were of the view that there are no easy solutions to the sustainability dilemma, with even seemingly obvious solutions having caveats. For example, electric cars are more sustainable only if compared with petrol\/diesel cars of similar size (electric SUVs or 4x4s pollute more than a small petrol car).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tackling Hotel Leakage: Risks, Realities, and Remedies<\/strong>

After tackling sustainability, our focus shifted to another pressing issue in business travel: hotel leakage. This term refers to situations where employees book accommodation outside of approved company channels, often attracted by seemingly better deals on third-party sites.

Our expert panel\u2014featuring voices from the aerospace, hotels and expenses management sectors\u2014unpacked the real-world consequences of leakage. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n