The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) polled its U.S. members this week on President Trump’s executive order banning travel to the United States of citizens from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
According to GBTA Executive Director and COO Michael W. McCormick, 30 percent of companies are expected to reduce travel.
Of the travel professionals polled, 31 percent expect the ban to cause a reduction in their company’s business travel in the immediate ensuing three months. Nearly the same number also expect the ban to negatively impact their company’s business travel in both the short-term (29 percent) over the next 3 to 6 months and the long-tem (28 percent) over the next 6 to 12 months and beyond.
Half of the travel professionals surveyed strongly or somewhat oppose this action, while 38 percent strongly or somewhat support it.
Travel professionals cited potential for countries to respond to this ban, making travel more difficult for U.S. travelers (63 percent), complications in travel to the United States (56 percent) and increased threats against U.S. travelers abroad (54 percent) as their top concerns for lasting impacts of the travel ban.
When asked about top concerns regarding the immigration ban on your travelers, uncertainty regarding green card and approved visa credibility to enter the United States (55 percent), harassment of U.S. travelers to and from the Middle East (50 percent), and increased traveler harassment in general (50 percent) topped the list. Twenty-three percent didn’t share any of the concerns listed.
This survey was conducted online between January 31 and February 1. In total, 338 select U.S. GBTA buyer members were invited to participate in this study via email; 58 participated in the survey yielding a response rate of 17 percent. Due to rounding, percentages may add to more or less than 100 percent.
Visit www.gbta.org