Will Middle Eastern airports like Dubai’s see fewer business travelers this year? (Image: Chris McGinnis)
The Trump Administration’s ban on travel to the U.S. for citizens from seven mainly Muslim countries is likely to hurt global business travel, according to a new poll.
The Global Business Travel Association last week surveyed its membership of corporate travel buyers and found that 31 percent of the respondents expect Trump’s executive order to result in a reduction in their company’s business travel over the next three months.
Some 29 percent said they expect that dampening effect to continue over the following three to six months as well, and 28 percent said it could well keep hurting travel over the next six to 12 months and beyond.
A majority of respondents – 63 percent – said they expected to see other countries respond to the ban by making travel more difficult for Americans, while 56 percent said it could lead to difficulties for travel to the U.S., and 54 percent were concerned about an increase in threats to U.S. travelers abroad.
Corporate travel managers worry about threats to their employees overseas. (Image: jim Glab)
When asked about top concerns regarding the immigration ban on their company’s business 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,” GBTA said.
Asked about their own views on the ban, half of the respondents opposed it while 38 percent supported it. The ban – which affects citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen – led to massive confusion and demonstrations at major U.S. airports over the last two weeks.
Late Friday, a federal judge in Washington temporarily halted the travel ban saying that “no one is above the law, even the president.”
And after a weekend of adjustment, it appears that we are back to business as usual at US airports and borders, but that could change quickly.
It’s going to be an interesting four years…
Have you had any personal experience around the travel ban? Do you feel different now traveling as an American abroad? Please leave your comments below.
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