Daily News Brief – February 12, 2021
GBTA and VDR to Host Joint Conference Reconnecting the Industry in Wiesbaden, 13-15 October
GBTA is delighted to announce its 2021 European Conference, in partnership with VDR.
The joint European Conference which will take place this year in Wiesbaden, 13-15 October, bringing together the industry from across Europe and beyond.
“VDR is delighted to be partnering with GBTA once again, to host Europe’s largest business travel conference and we look forward to working in partnership to bring the industry back together. The challenges of the entire industry are greater than ever, and we want to meet the growing need for personal knowledge transfer and networking with our event.” said Hans-Ingo Biehl, VDR.
GBTA Advocacy
GBTA and Its 9,000 Members Strongly Oppose a Mandate for COVID-19 Testing for Domestic Flights
As the Biden administration is considering a rule that would require negative COVID-19 test results for domestic air travel and potentially other restraints to interstate travel, GBTA issued the following statement:
“GBTA and the entire business travel industry continue to support all necessary and practical measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and it’s variants to make travel safe again,” said Dave Hilfman, interim executive director of GBTA, which represents more than 9,000 members worldwide, thousands of U.S. members and 37 chapters in the U.S. “We call for decisions to be backed by data and science, while also considering feasibility and scalability.”
“The travel industry is fully engaged and supportive of mitigating the risks of this pandemic. Mandatory masks, touchless technology, social distancing requirements and increased cleaning standards have been in place for months by the industry. Rigorous scientific studies show that existing protections – mask wearing, enhanced sanitation, HEPA filters to remove virus particles from recirculated air – effectively mitigate risk in air travel. Mitigation of risk and continued messaging by the Administration on how to travel, where to travel and when to travel is the key to curbing the spread.”
COVID-19 News
Coronavirus Vaccines: How’s My Country and The Rest of the World Doing? (BBC)
One Year of COVID-19: Vaccines Bring Hope, but Africa Must Be Included (RELIEF WEB)
Industry Spotlight
There’s Still Time to Give Us Your Input
Take this Month’s GBTA Coronavirus Poll
Help GBTA monitor the impact of Coronavirus on the business travel industry. Please take 3-4 minutes to take GBTA’s monthly Coronavirus poll. We have removed some previous questions and added new questions concerning proposed government policies as they relate to testing, border closures and the return to travel. GBTA poll findings are used in government lobbying efforts and information campaigns.
Regional Town Halls
Don’t Miss Next Tuesday’s GBTA Europe Town Hall
Tuesday, February 16 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM GMT
This webinar will provide an overview of GBTA’s BTI ™ Outlook for Western Europe. This critical industry report forecasts the economic outlook for the next 5 years and what is expected for business travel in the region.
The GBTA BTI™ Outlook Was Made Possible By Enterprise
Industry Webinar
Evaluate Your Travel Program in an All-New Webinar:
Ford or Ferrari? What Are You Driving in the Race to the Return of Corporate Travel?
Tuesday, February 23 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST
Spend, culture and industry that are all factors in determining the vehicle best suited for your organization. Especially during these uncertain times, how do you know if your program has what it takes to go the distance and take your travelers and your business to the winner’s circle?
Join us as we explore what travel managers can do to assess, benchmark and improve their travel and expense programs.
Job Board
Is Your Company Hiring?
Use the GBTA Career Center to post your business travel job openings and access thousands of qualified industry professionals looking to make their next career move.
Trending Industry News
Aviation Industry News
Delta Plane Slides Off Icy Taxiway at Pittsburgh International Airport; No One Injured (USA TODAY)
Gatwick Becomes Latest UK Airport To Introduce Forecourt Charges (SIMPLE FLYING)
Indigo Announces 22 new Flights (BUSINESS TRAVELLER)
British Airways Expands Verifly to All UK Inbound International Flights (BUSINESS TRAVELLER)
Hospitality Industry News
Marriott Bonvoy Mobile App Refreshed to Offer a More Intuitive and Personalized Experience (TRAVEL DAILY NEWS)
Ground Transportation Industy News
Amtrak and the Need for a Truly Transformative High-Speed Rail Plan (RUNWAY GIRL NETWORK)
Uber: External Business Travel Will Recover ‘Very Quickly,’ Faster Than Internal (BUSINESS TRAVEL NEWS)
Have You Submitted Your Proposal?
GBTA is accepting proposals for GBTA Conference 2021 – Wiesbaden in Partnership with VDR. Our new 45-minute sessions reflect the needs of our travel professionals Are you interested in leading an education session? Submit a proposal today!
Editor’s Note
In observance of the President’s Day holiday, the GBTA Daily News Brief will halt distribution Monday, February 15. We will resume distribution on Tuesday, February 16. Please visit gbta.org to learn the latest about developments in business travel.
WorldAware Intelligence Brief
French Guiana – Health Officials Ease COVID-19-Related Weekend Curfew
Lithuania – Health Officials Ease Coronavirus Disease-Related Business Restrictions
COVID-19 Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
Visa Information
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