Senator Amy Klobuchar, a major champion of business travel and someone The Washington Post called a rising star of the Democratic Party spoke to GBTA members as part of today’s Legislative Symposium. Sen. Klobuchar led off joking about the weather in Minnesota as she lauded the business community for being able to draw the NFL…
Rep. Mario Diaz Balart (R-FL) today earned a round of applause from attendees at GBTA Legislative Symposium 2015 after stating that the appropriations bill that just came out of his Transportation Subcommittee did not include an increase to the passenger facility charge (PFC). Although he noted that there is a long road ahead, Diaz Balart…
CBS Money Watch reported on a GBTA study this week showing China will soon top the United States in business travel spend in spite of a cooling economy and slower economic growth. Yahoo! News writes that early signs are showing new economic policies in China will have a long-term positive impact on the economy, which…
According to The Hill, Reps. Joe Heck (R-NV) and Mike Quigley (D-IL) have re-filed a measure that is known as the Jobs Originated Through Launching Travel (JOLT) Act that would expand the expand the State Department’s Visa Waiver Program, which currently allows tourists from 38 nations to visit the U.S. without obtaining a visa. The…
According to The Hill, Reps. Joe Heck (R-NV) and Mike Quigley (D-IL) have re-filed a measure that is known as the Jobs Originated Through Launching Travel (JOLT) Act that would expand the expand the State Department’s Visa Waiver Program. The VWP has come under fire by some recently who say the program could weaken national security by allowing…
Today GBTA joined several traveler groups in support of Airlines for America’s (A4A) opposition to the proposed near doubling of the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) – or Airport Tax. GBTA is proud to support StopAirTaxNow.com where you can learn more about the PFC and see why A4A says airports have plenty and passengers have had…
It’s no secret that the U.S. dollar is strong right now and USA Today reports this is helping spur overseas business travel. GBTA’s Joe Bates told reporter Nancy Trejos that we’re definitely seeing the impact of a stronger dollar as well as lower commodity prices, especially the lower cost of jet fuel and other goods…
Business travel is back, but the perks are not according to a USA Today article. GBTA’s Mike McCormick was interviewed for the article saying the growth in business travel comes back to that overall feeling of corporate confidence and seeing a return from putting business travelers on the road. He added that travelers are packing…
The GBTA Foundation released its latest quarterly U.S. business travel forecast today and trip volume is on the rise. While we lowered our forecast for business travel spending from last quarter because the costs of travel are falling and are now expecting 3.1 percent spending growth to $295.7 billion, we increased the forecast for person-trip volume…
Last May, President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum calling on the Departments of Commerce and Homeland Security to establish a national goal and airport-specific action plans at our largest airports to enhance the arrivals process for international travelers to the United States. On Friday, DOC and DHS delivered on the next step in improving the…
Skift interviewed GBTA’s Mike McCormick this week about the potential hit to the economy if the DHS funding bill doesn’t pass. “It means longer lines, disruption, and a risk of business travelers canceling trips,” McCormick said. Associations Now also weighed in on the potential for dire effects of a Homeland Security shutdown. GBTA often talks…
*Last Updated: March 3, 2015 at 11:50am GBTA has been talking for weeks about the serious, unintended consequences on business travel if the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill fails to pass leading to a shutdown. Absent a full year funding bill, business travel can easily be disrupted, causing an immediate impact on our…
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