Each year in tandem with GBTA Convention, GBTA holds elections for its Board of Directors. In March, we opened up the call for nominations for this year’s open Board seats. This July while at Convention in Denver, we will be electing two new Direct Member directors at large and one new Allied Member director at…
Today GBTA announced the launch of a new Travel Risk Management Maturity Model (TRM3™) Self-Assessment Tool created in partnership with iJET International. Duty of care is a major component of a travel buyer’s job. Travel security risks or medical emergencies can happen anywhere and anytime in today’s world, so it is imperative for organizations to…
GBTA was deeply saddened to hear the news of the terrorist attacks in Brussels Tuesday morning. Dozens of innocent people were killed in an attack that was more than just an attack on an airport and a metro system, but an attack on all of us and our way of life. We have updated the…
Once again, last week, the world watched in horror as scenes from another terrorist attack unfolded. Three attacks, coming just days after one another, were all in popular, busy sections of cities, where commuters, tourists and business professionals carried on with their day-to-day lives. Of course, as the world watches and mourns, life for bystanders…
GBTA wants to work with TSA and the government to make security as safe and efficient as possible. Watch the video below to see how you can help GBTA address concerns.
The aftermath of dealing with the tragic terror attacks in Brussels last week continued to dominate the news. The Economist’s Gulliver Business Travel blog wrote about why acts of terror are unlikely to stop business travelers from hitting the road. Travel Market Report’s Anna Gleskman reported on a GBTA poll showing 81 percent of global…
Following the tragic terror attacks in Brussels, GBTA and our European partner associations conducted a lightning poll of our global members to assess the immediate impact and learn more about their company’s risk management plans. Below is the press release we issued today on the results. GBTA Poll Shows Vast Majority of Companies Have Effective…
Where do travel buyers get the most valuable add-ons for the lowest cost to their organization? According to a new survey of over 100 travel buyers across North America sponsored by Amadeus, it is hotel contracts where travel buyers can provide the most sought add-ons for their travelers at the lowest cost to their organizations….
*Updated March 28 at 10:20 AM ET* Today, GBTA issued the following quote from GBTA President Christle Johnson: “GBTA is deeply saddened by the news of the terrorist attacks this morning in Brussels,” said Christle Johnson, GBTA president. “Dozens of innocent people were killed in an attack that was more than just an attack on…
The Wall Street Journal’s Scott McCartney asks how the airlines should spend their windfall driven by dramatically lower oil prices and years of cost-cutting and huge consolidation. He talks with GBTA’s Mike McCormick among others to find out ways the airlines could use that money to reinvest and improve the traveler experience. The Huffington Post…
What’s new for the business traveler? Charisse Jones at USA Today writes about the latest in packing apps designed to take a load off business travelers, so you’ll never have to pack and schlep your bags around for a business trip again. You’ll also be covered once you arrive at the airport, according to another…
Last week the Senate released its version of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization bill – the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2016. The bill, introduced by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD), would extend the agency’s authority through September of 2017. This extension is far shorter than the six-year House bill, which…
This July, the already hard-fought Presidential campaigns will only continue to heat up as Convention season approaches. Everyone wants to know who will ultimately get the nominations for each party and who will be tagged as their running mates. That is why I am so pleased to announce that the Vice President will be speaking…
In early January, GBTA announced the opening of the call for nominations for the fourth annual Outstanding Achievement Awards for Sustainability in business travel and meetings across North America. Through these awards, the GBTA Foundation looks to recognize travel buyers, suppliers, intermediaries, individuals and groups who can demonstrate outstanding leadership, innovation and commitment to delivering…
Business travelers spend a lot of time in the air. According to CNN’s Business Traveller, climate change might make your flights even longer. In other topical news, Nancy Trejos of USA Today shares the latest on what travelers need to know about the Zika virus. The FAA bill made a lot of news this week…
The Global Leadership Professional® (GLP) program has been a hallmark of the GBTA Academy for 15 years. The GLP Program is the only masters-level course for travel professionals and it uses an interdisciplinary approach that addresses both the opportunities and challenges of conducting business in today’s environment. Since its beginning, we have seen more than…
In business travel news this week, the Chicago Tribune reported that Senator Charles Schumer wants to require the FAA to establish seat-size standards for commercial airlines to keep passengers from being packed in like sardines. Also according to the Chicago Tribune, the U.S. has banned all air travelers from using electronic cigarettes on domestic and foreign airlines…
GBTA has been closely following developments with the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) as steps have been taken to continue to strengthen this important security program. The VWP is a critically important element in America’s efforts to protect our homeland. Since its inception in 1986, it has evolved into a comprehensive security partnership with our closest…
USA Today reported on two risk-based, trusted traveler programs this week. Bart Jansen wrote that travelers from Germany will be able to join the Global Entry program for trusted travelers, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection announcement. Charisse Jones reported on a GBTA study showing business travelers with TSA PreCheck not only have…
Navigating airport security is one of the most important parts of the modern travel process, yet, at times, it can be the most frustrating. Every day, as business travelers enter security lines at airports, their blood pressure increases as they wait in line to take off their shoes, remove their belts and place laptops in…
Today, GBTA released a new poll showing continued resiliency in business travel following the Paris attacks. More than 90 percent of U.S. and European business travel buyers now report that their company’s travel to and within Europe has remained largely unaffected by the Paris terrorist attacks. This shows increased levels of resiliency since the immediate…
Last week the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) agreed to establish a Federal Interagency Working Group to more effectively collaborate and coordinate with other relevant agencies on issues that intersect their respective domains, including the safe and secure use of consumer communications onboard domestic commercial aviation. Today GBTA issued…
The following post was originally sent as an email to GBTA members earlier this afternoon. Dear GBTA Members, Hope you are off to a productive start to the New Year! This is the first in what will be a regular series of updates I will send to you in 2016. I hope you find them…
Businesses Spend As Cities Are Showcased For Future Business Meetings and Events It’s too early to know whether the Denver Broncos or Carolina Panthers will be champions, but there is already one clear winner of Super Bowl 50: the San Francisco Bay Area. Already, business travelers are streaming into the Bay Area from across the…
Last year, GBTA announced a new initiative called The Masters Honors. I am proud to tell you more today about this unique program that recognizes the leadership of the most engaged travel management professionals in the business travel industry. GBTA worked to create a program that will help elevate the business travel profession by honoring…
The latest GBTA Business Traveler Sentiment Index™, in partnership with American Express, was released today and is full of valuable information on business travelers’ feelings about their travel experience and how those feelings affect their actual travel behavior. This is the fourth round of this survey, which covers overall trip experience, travel policy, expense tracking…
Last week I wrote about GBTA’s new initiative called The Masters Honors. A major component of this unique recognition program is The Masters Honors Summit & Gala. Designed to elevate the business travel profession by recognizing the travel management professionals who are most engaged in moving our industry forward, this event will be held April…
Earlier this week, GBTA and its European partner network congratulated the European Commission on the adoption of an aviation strategy last December and called for further engagement on issues of particular relevance to the business travel industry. In a letter to Commissioners, the organizations identified three areas for further discussion: Boosting competitiveness of the European Union’s…
Today, the Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Jeh Johnson, delivered a statement on the final phase of implementation for the REAL ID Act. Many have worried that Phase 4 – stopping a person with a non-compliant ID from boarding an airplane – is just days away. That is not the case, however. In fact, travelers will…
Every quarter GBTA looks at economic trends and business spending to see where the business travel industry is headed. Our latest report, the BTI™ Outlook – United States 2015 Q4 – finds that U.S. business travel is an island of stability in a sea of global volatility. Overall, the BTI Outlook finds that the U.S. economy…
Last week, the GBTA Foundation released our latest quarterly U.S. business travel outlook projecting just over 3 percent growth in business travel spending for 2016 and 2017. Here are three key questions we’ve been hearing about the forecast. Will airfares drop in 2016? In 2015, price growth was the lowest we’ve witnessed since the Great…
With GBTA’s headquarters located in Alexandria, VA just outside of Washington, D.C., there has been much talk of the impending blizzard. USA Today writes about how the east coast blizzard is already a travel nightmare thanks to preemptive cancellations and notes that airlines are waiving changes fees ahead of the snowstorm. Let’s talk loyalty. Skift…
It’s a new year and the Week in Review is back to keep you up to date on the latest happenings in business travel each Friday. Concerns are buzzing around Real ID, but it’s not true that Phase 4 – stopping a person with a non-compliant ID from boarding an airplane – is just days…
A recent GBTA Foundation study, sponsored by Concur, looked at how corporate travel programs keep adapting in today’s changing world. It focused on how travel management companies (TMCs) are serving companies and business travelers by surveying both travel buyers and the travelers themselves. Let’s talk about priorities over the next five years. Travel buyers in…
In my previous sustainability series posts on the blog here, I have talked about what sustainability means, why taking a sustainable approach to business travel works and how to build a sustainable travel program, among other topics. Today, I want to turn the blog over to the head of GBTA’s Sustainability Committee to share the…
Last week, GBTA’s Risk Committee hosted a webinar on the threat of terrorism and the importance of crisis response planning. Events like Paris, Belgium and San Bernardino are grim reminders that travel security risks exist everywhere and anything can happen anywhere in the world at any time. The webinar brought together subject-matter experts to explain…
A recent GBTA Foundation study, sponsored by Concur, talked to both business travelers and travel buyers about booking behaviors. Over the past year, business travelers are generally satisfied with booking business trips across a variety of channels. Looking at the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, more than 85 percent of business travelers are…
A recent GBTA Foundation study, in partnership with HRS, looked to better understand the expense reporting process at companies across the globe. First, GBTA identified how expense reports are currently processed. Seven in ten travel buyers (70 percent) currently do so internally using third-party software. Two in ten (19 percent) process expense reports internally without…
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