GBTA Hosts First Business Travel Symposium in Bogotá, Colombia

Bogotá, Colombia (September 16, 2015) – The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Colombia hosted its first GBTA Business Travel Symposium last month at the Hotel Wyndham Bogotá Art in Bogotá, Colombia with over 90 business travel professionals from Colombia and Peru participating in the event. Attendees were given the opportunity to participate in education sessions…

GBTA and VDR Announce Egencia President Rob Greyber as Centre Stage speaker at GBTA Conference 2015 in Partnership with VDR

London, 8th September 2015 – The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – the voice of the global business travel industry – and German business travel buyer association VDR – today announced that Mr. Rob Greyber, President of Egencia®, will be a featured speaker at their joint conference taking place in Frankfurt, 9-11 November. Rob will…

GBTA Issues Call for Applications for New Mentors, Mentees for Prestigious GBTA Ladders Program

Alexandria, VA (September 2, 2015) – The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – the voice of the global business travel industry – today announced new openings for mentors and mentees for the next round of its mentor program, GBTA Ladders. The growing GBTA Ladders program is in its third year of providing opportunities for those…

GBTA Europe Appoints New President

London – 1 September 2015 The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA)—the voice of the global business travel industry— today announced Ms Gehan Colliander, as its newly appointed President of GBTA Europe. Ms Colliander will act as the lead buyer in the organization tasked with leading the Advisory Board, which is a pivotal force in establishing…

One-Half of Travel Managers to Cut Spending with Lufthansa Once €16 Per Booking Surcharge Goes Into Effect on Sept 1

Alexandria, VA (August 27, 2015) – In June, the Lufthansa Group airlines announced that it plans to add a surcharge to tickets purchased anywhere other than its websites, service centers and airport ticket counters beginning next week on September 1, 2015. A poll of Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Members shows 50 percent of travel…

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GBTA Calls for “Top-to-Bottom Review” of Weekend’s Air Travel Disruption

Alexandria, VA – August 8, 2015 – Global Business Travel Association Executive Director and COO, Michael McCormick, today called for a top-to-bottom review of the air travel disruption that caused cancellations and delays of flights across the nation. His statement follows: “Over the weekend, an air traffic disruption caused by a ‘technical glitch’ resulted in…

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The Sharing Economy, Competition and Technology Highlight GBTA Convention

Orlando, FL – July 30, 2015 – The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – the voice of the global business travel industry, kicked off its first industry session Monday at Center Stage with Charisse Jones of USA Today asking hard-hitting questions from Southwest Airlines’ Gary Kelly and Etihad Airlines’ James Hogan. The interviews focused on…

Study Reveals Ground Transportation Usage Patterns and Perceptions In The Business Travel Industry

Orlando, FL – July 28, 2015 – Rental cars (36 percent) and taxis (24 percent) are the most commonly used methods of ground transportation for business trips followed by chauffeured transportation (13 percent) and ride-sharing companies (11 percent) according to a new study from the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global…

GBTA Foundation Annual Forecast Predicts Global Business Travel Spending to Hit Record High of $1.25 Trillion in 2015

GBTA Identifies Five Business Travel Markets of the Future Alexandria, VA – July 27, 2015 – Despite recent economic turbulence, China business travel will increase by 61 percent over the next 5 years, from $261 billion in 2014 to $420 billion in 2019. That increase is greater than the increases in business travel growth in…

GBTA Partners with ECPAT to Fight Child Exploitation in Travel

Orlando, FL – July 27, 2015 – Today at GBTA Convention 2015, the GBTA Foundation announced it is joining the fight to stop child exploitation by working with ECPAT, the leading anti-trafficking policy organization fighting sex tourism. “The GBTA Foundation and ECPAT stand shoulder-to-shoulder against the trafficking and exploitation of children,” said Daphne Bryant, GBTA…

GBTA Convention Panel Looks at the Future of Ground Transportation in A Sharing Economy

Alexandria, VA (July 23, 2015) – The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – the voice of the global business travel industry – today unveiled its final panel in an exciting line-up of speakers for GBTA Convention 2015, taking place next week, July 25-29 in Orlando, Florida. Ground Transportation in a Sharing Economy Tuesday, July 28,…

New GBTA Study Shows More Companies are Consolidating Meetings, Events and Travel Programs

ALEXANDRIA, VA – July 23, 2015 – One-half of Travel Buyers currently have or are in the process of creating a consolidated meetings, events and/or travel program, according to new research from the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). This marks a 14 percent growth in adoption…

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2016 Global Travel Price Outlook Reveals Six Global Hot Spots

Alexandria, VA & Amsterdam (21 July, 2015) — New research identifies six hot spots – India, China, Colombia, Mexico, Singapore and Australia — where increased business travel demand is driving significant air price increases. This is despite global air travel prices displaying signs that they will be essentially flat in 2016. “Business travel is a…

Constant Connectivity, Mobile Applications, and Digital Wallets Part of “Technological Transformation” Changing the Face of Business Travel, According to First-Ever Global Business Traveler Sentiment

Alexandria, VA (July 16, 2015) – Mobile technologies – including Wi-Fi, travel apps and digital wallets – are transforming business travelers’ experience around the globe. That’s according to the first-ever GBTA Global Business Traveler Sentiment Index™, research from the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), in partnership…

Travel Managers Expected to Increase Focus on Mobile, Virtual Payments and Data

Alexandria, VA (July 15, 2015) – Technology is an integral part of a Travel Manager’s role and will become increasingly more important in the future as travel managers seek to take a more strategic position within their organizations. This is according to a new study by the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of…

GBTA Foundation Whitepaper Explores Use of Technology to Improve Business Traveler Hotel Experiences

ALEXANDRIA, VA – July 14, 2015 – Business travelers are generally open to new technological advancements that will improve their hotel booking and staying experience, however there are some concerns around adoption rates among older travelers, according to a new whitepaper from the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel…

Study Shows Hotel Loyalty Programs Play Important Role in Corporate Travel Programs

ALEXANDRIA, VA – July 9, 2015 – Two-thirds (66 percent) of Corporate Travel Managers agree hotel loyalty programs play at least a “slightly important” role in their negotiations with hotels and one in five admit they play a “very important” or “extremely important” role, according to new research from the GBTA Foundation, the education and…

Business Travel Spending to Rise Nearly 5 Percent in 2015, But “Erratic” Economic Drivers Limit Growth

Alexandria, VA (July 7, 2015) – U.S. business travel spending will increase by 4.9 percent in 2015 to $302.7 billion, yet ongoing concerns about the U.S. economy will rein-in what could be even sharper growth, according to new research from the GBTA Foundation and Visa. The 2016 outlook anticipates a surge in economic activity and…

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GBTA Latin America Hosts Third Annual Successful Conference in Sao Paulo Brasil

SAO PAULO, BRASIL 2 July 2015 – The Global Busines Travel Association (GBTA) – the voice of the global business travel industry – hosted its third annual successful conference last week in Sao Paulo Brasil with more than 300 total attendees. The event took place at the Pullman Hotel, Vila Olympia, Sao Paulo, located within…

Lufthansa CEO Named Featured Speaker at GBTA Conference 2015

London – July 1, 2015 The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – the voice of the global business travel industry – and German business travel buyer association VDR – today announced that Mr. Carsten Spohr, Chairman and CEO of Lufthansa Group, will be a featured speaker at their joint conference, 9-11 November, at the Congress…

Single-Use Virtual Accounts Gaining Popularity Among Business Travelers

ALEXANDRIA, VA – June 30, 2015 –About 20 percent of American businesses today pay for travel using cardless single-use “virtual” accounts, up from 13 percent last year, according to a new study by the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). Meanwhile, the survey found that a majority…

New Whitepaper Unveils Best Practices for Increasing Efficiencies with eRFPs

ALEXANDRIA, VA – June 25, 2015 – The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Meetings Committee and the Convention Industry Council (CIC) APEX Workgroup (APEX) released today a new joint whitepaper, Improving eRFP Efficiency and Effectiveness for the Meetings Industry. The whitepaper combines findings from complimentary research conducted by the two groups in 2014 examining eRFP…

GBTA Urges Incoming TSA Administrator To Conduct Independent Top to Bottom Review

Alexandria, VA (June 23, 2015) – On Monday night, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Neffenger to lead the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). This comes in the wake of a report leaked on an internal investigation of TSA showing security failures at dozens of the nation’s busiest…

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GBTA Foundation Forecasts that Brazil’s Economy Faces ‘Significant Headwinds’ and Downgrades Outlook for Brazil’s Business Travel Spend in 2015

Sao Paulo, Brazil (June 22, 2015) —The GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – today announced the results of its latest GBTA BTI™ Outlook – Brazil report, a semi-annual business travel outlook and overall economic analysis of Brazil. The report, sponsored by Visa Inc., includes the GBTA…

GBTA Surpasses 1,000 Buyers Registered for Convention

Alexandria, VA (June 21, 2015) – The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – the voice of the global business travel industry – today announced more than 1,000 travel buyers have already registered for GBTA Convention 2015. GBTA expects record attendance numbers for Convention 2015 taking place July 25-29 in Orlando, Florida. “Travel buyers control the…

Congressional Report Disregards Negative Economic Impact

Alexandria, VA (June 21, 2015) – Today, Rep. John Mica’s (R-FL) office released a report calling passenger facility charge (PFC) increases a necessity to avoid “chaos” at airports. The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – the voice of the global business travel industry – issued the following statement in response: Rep. Mica’s attention-getting report was…

GBTA and MPI Recognize New Class of CMM Recipients

Industry Leaders First to Receive Designation for Enhanced Program Redesigned for Both Meeting and Travel Professionals ALEXANDRIA, VA and DALLAS, TX – June 19, 2015 – The GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), and Meeting Professionals International (MPI) announced today that they recently presented the distinguished Certificate…

GBTA Says Proposal to Slash Carry-on Baggage Size Must Be “Permanently Scrapped”

Alexandria, VA (June 19, 2015) – Three-quarters (74 percent) of travel managers oppose IATA’s recently recommended guidelines that standard carry-on baggage sizes be reduced to dimensions about 20 percent smaller than what most major airlines currently allow according to a poll of travel managers conducted by the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of…

GBTA Pleased IATA “Hit the Pause Button” on Proposal to Reduce Carry-on Baggage Dimensions by 20 Percent

Alexandria, VA (June 16, 2015) – Earlier today, The International Air Transport Association (IATA), an airline industry association, put on hold on its recommendation that standard carry-on baggage sizes be reduced to dimensions about 20 percent smaller than what most major airlines currently allow — to 22 inches tall, 13 1/2 inches wide and 7…

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Western Europe Business Travel Spend On Solid Footing, Growth Expected in 2015 and 2016

London, UK (June 11, 2015) – The GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), today announces the results of its latest GBTA BTI™ Outlook – Western Europe report, a semi-annual analysis of the five most critical business travel markets in Europe: Germany, the UK, France, Italy, and Spain….