GBTA’s recently released quarterly U.S. business travel forecast, GBTA BTI™ Outlook – United States, showed the growth rate for business travel spending in the country is slowing. The study also looked into both group and individual business travel. Individual business travel soared in 2014, growing 6.7 percent, but total spending fell 0.3 percent over the…
The latest GBTA Business Traveler Sentiment Index™, in partnership with American Express, shows business travelers enjoy most elements of the travel experience. Satisfaction is highest with staying at hotels (78 percent), the overall travel experience (73 percent) and making travel arrangements (73 percent). While satisfaction levels are high, a decline of 3.7 percentage points in…
Yesterday, the GBTA Foundation released a study, sponsored by Starwood Hotels & Resorts, that assessed China’s Meeting, Incentive, Convention & Exhibition (MICE) market. This is the first time the market has been quantified like this revealing that MICE activity comprises nearly half (42 percent) of total domestic business travel volume in China and 45 percent…
GBTA issued the release below today on TSA Administrator Neffenger’s testimony. You can find our release from earlier this summer urging TSA to conduct a top-to-bottom review here. Today, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator Peter Neffenger testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform providing his vision for the evolving…
Sustainability in Action… So far in my sustainability series posts we have talked about the principles, opportunities and benefits from creating a ‘Responsible Travel Program’. Let’s now look at a real-life example of how working with your suppliers can deliver a great program, and a significant return on investment. Autodesk is a global leaders in…
Earlier this month, GBTA released a study on extended stay accommodations in partnership with WWStay. It looked at usage patterns and preferences finding differences across generations and genders when it comes to U.S. international business travelers and also covered how extended stay accommodations fit into travel policies. This post looks into satisfaction, preferences and challenges…
In a couple short weeks, we will face a political standoff over the debt ceiling and the prospect of yet another government shutdown a few weeks after that. An op-ed from GBTA ran on The Hill’s Congress Blog this week about the lasting and real impact this is having on the economy. I know the Trump 2016 reality…
This week in business travel news, Inc. covered the latest GBTA study, in partnership with American Express, showcasing the Millennials’ secret weapon for winning over business. Successful Meetings also covered the study, writing about Millennials embrace of business travel with a majority of the group saying technology can never replace face-to-face meetings to get business done. In…
A new study released today from the GBTA Foundation, in partnership with American Express, reveals that Millennials are significantly more likely to want to travel more for business than Baby Boomers (45 percent to 26 percent, respectively). In addition, a majority of Millennials (57 percent) believe technology can never replace face-to-face meetings to get business…
On September 1, the Lufthansa Group implemented a €16 per booking surcharge on travel purchased anywhere other than its websites, service centers and airport ticket counters. This morning we issued the findings from a new global survey conducted by GBTA and its European partner network showing 42 percent of travel buyers surveyed have decreased bookings with Lufthansa since it…
This morning we released findings from GBTA’s BTI™ Outlook semi-annual forecast reports on Brazil, China, India and Russia, sponsored by Visa, Inc. Our VP of research, Joe Bates, is also presenting the results this week at ITB Asia in Singapore. In the latest round of forecasts, we found the BRICs are no longer acting as…
American business travelers are masters at understanding the planes, trains and automobiles that we all rely on. We know just when to arrive at the airport so we can make it through security and walk onto the plane. We know which train is likely to be on time, and which one is always delayed. And…
This week in business travel news CNN reported on the increasing bleisure travel trend looking at the new breed of traveler who is mixing business with leisure. They turned to GBTA’s ranking of the top 15 business travel markets to see where travelers are “splashing the cash” on these trips. Bloomberg covered the GBTA Foundation’s…
The GBTA Foundation released its quarterly U.S. business travel forecast last week. It included a projection that average airfares have dropped to $379 this year, down from $392. This is a long anticipated drop for consumers due to the collapse in global oil prices. I talked about this phenomenon with Fortune’s Chris Elliott who wrote…
Sustainability in Action… In this third blog post in my new sustainability series, I continue explain why following a responsible approach to a sustainable travel and meetings program is good for business. Having a sustainable travel program for business travel and meetings is no longer a ‘nice to do’. ‘No longer a ‘nice to do!’…
The GBTA Foundation released a study yesterday in partnership with WWStay, revealing that Millennials (18-34) use extended stay accommodations more than any other group. In the past year, 72 percent of Millennials stayed at one for international business travel. In comparison, only 48 percent of Gen Xers (35-54) and an even smaller 26 percent of Baby…
Today, GBTA released our third quarter outlook for U.S. business travel, and it clearly shows the effects caused by an uncertain global economic environment. U.S. business travel spending will increase by 3.1 percent in 2015 and 3.7 percent in 2016. While this is still positive growth, it is down from our July projections of increased…
*Updated – November 3, 2015, 11:30AM* U.S. Customs and Border Protection made its official announcement today about the expansion of Global Entry to UK citizens. UK citizens can register for Global Entry beginning December 3. Read the full release from CBP and see the latest coverage from Tom Newcombe of Buying Business Travel. Are you a…
Last week GBTA released a study, in partnership with WWStay, which revealed that nearly half (48 percent) of all U.S. business travelers have used an extended stay accommodation in the past 12 months when traveling internationally for business. An intriguing finding from the study showed that 60 percent of business travelers who use extended stay…
The GBTA Foundation is establishing a Task Force of seasoned industry professionals to review, update and revise the existing Sustainability Benchmarking Tool. This endeavor, sponsored by BCD, is projected to take roughly 9 to 12 months. The existing tool is more than 6 years old. Much has happened in the business travel industry during this…
Last week, GBTA released its annual Compensation and Benefits study. If you haven’t already seen my post on average incomes for travel buyers increasing 5 percent over 2014, read it here. Last year travel buyers were noticeably more satisfied with their compensation after a four-year plateau. The trend continues this year as three quarters of…
The following is a guest post in our GBTA Ladders Blog Series. The GBTA Ladders program is a unique mentor program designed to help develop the passion and skills of business travel professionals enabling them to help solve the major challenges facing business travel. A call for new mentors and mentees for the next round…
The GBTA Foundation is establishing a buyer-ledTask Force of seasoned industry professionals to review, update and revise the existing Managed Travel Index®, which is more than six years old. The purpose of the updated assessment is to benchmark the effectiveness of your managed travel program. This includes benchmarking end-to-end processes and meetings management. Most importantly,…
Real ID is a federal law passed as part of the 9/11 Commission in 2005 and requires states to issue standardized ID cards and driver’s licenses that include new technology. The intent of the law is to prevent forged documents and inhibit terrorism. There are four states that have yet to comply with the law…
The GBTA Foundation recently released a study in partnership with Carlson Wagonlit Travel that surveyed more than 500 North American business travelers looking at their booking behaviors, especially related to hotel booking, to learn more about booking priorities and levels of satisfaction. It turns out travelers have a diverse set of priorities when booking hotels…
A recent GBTA Foundation study released in partnership with Carlson Wagonlit Travel surveyed more than 500 North American business travelers looking at business travelers’ booking behaviors and found some interesting differences when it comes to Baby Boomers (55+) and Millennials (18-34) and their use of travel apps. While smart phones are practically universal among business…
At GBTA Convention 2014 in Los Angeles, the GBTA Foundation first announced The Gift of Knowledge Initiative. This new initiative would develop and implement an innovative and comprehensive program to further develop the travel management profession in China. Thanks to the support of United as a founding leadership partner and other industry leaders, Ctrip Corporate…
The following blog post was sent out as an email to all Members earlier this afternoon. It is my pleasure to write to you today in my new role as Chairperson and Past President. It has been an honor serving with all of you in an effort to strengthen our Association and our industry. I…
The GBTA Foundation released its annual Compensation and Benefits study today that looks at salaries, bonuses, and benefits for U.S. travel buyers. In good news for travel buyers, salaries are up year over year increasing 5 percent to $110,000 for total pre-tax compensation in 2015. Median salaries are up, as well, increasing 6 percent to…
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