Alexandria, Va.-based Global Business Travel Association, which represents the business travel industry worldwide, said today that nearly four in 10 (37 percent) of U.S. business travel professionals expect some level of reduction in their company’s travel because of the revised executive order. Even more European travel professionals feel this way, with 47 percent expecting some in business travel for their company. Additionally, 17 percent of European travel professionals report that their company has already cancelled business travel to the United States because of the executive orders issued. GBTA polled its U.S. and European members this week to assess the business travel impact of President Trump’s revised executive order on travel.
Thirty-eight percent of European business travel professionals said their company’s would be less willing to send business travelers to the United States in the future because of the executive order, and 45 percent indicated their company will be less willing to plan future meetings and events in the United States.
More Findings from the GBTA Polls:
- 44 percent of European travel professionals reported their organization currently has employees traveling abroad who might be or are affected by the current travel ban.
- 20 percent of European travel professionals reported there are directives within their organization to cancel or delay travel of employees who are nationals of countries included in the ban.
- U.S. travel professionals cited potential for countries to respond to this ban, making travel more difficult for U.S. travelers (51 percent), complications in travel to the United States (44 percent), and increased threats against U.S. travelers abroad (41 percent) as their top concerns for lasting impacts of the travel ban. These numbers were all marginally down from the GBTA poll following the announcement of the first travel ban in January, where they were at 63 percent, 56 percent and 54 percent respectively.
- U.S. travel professionals expressed similar levels of support and opposition for the revised travel ban as they did for the original one. Just over half (52 percent) of the travel professionals surveyed strongly or somewhat oppose this action, while 35 percent strongly or somewhat support it, compared to 50 percent and 38 percent, respectively, in the initial GBTA poll.
- When asked about top concerns regarding the immigration ban on your travelers, increased traveler harassment in general (41 percent), uncertainty regarding green card and approved visa credibility to enter the United States (34 percent), and harassment of U.S. travelers to and from the Middle East (34 percent) topped the list. More than one-third (34 percent), however, didn’t share any of the concerns listed.
The poll of European members was conducted online between March 7-8, 2017. The respondents comprise 148 European travel managers, 51 of whom reside in Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, or Sweden). The poll of U.S. members was also conducted online between March 7-8, 2017, and comprised 176 travel managers.
