The GTMC hosted a parliamentary dinner on the evening of Monday 12 November, bringing together the association’s membership and influential MPs for an evening of discussion and debate around topics impacting business travel.
Around 40 representatives from the GTMC’s travel management company membership attended alongside 11 members of parliament. The lively debate included dialogue on the likes of Brexit, runway capacity, ground transportation links, APD, border control and more.
The MPs in attendance included former Deputy Speaker and member of the International Trade Select Committee, Nigel Evans MP. As well as members and former members of the Transport Select Committee, Steve Double MP, Iain Stewart MP and Luke Pollard MP who before becoming an MP was Head of Public Affairs at ABTA. James Heappey MP, Chair of the APPG for the Events Industry and PPS to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, and members of the General Aviation APPG, Sir Roger Gale MP and Hugh Gaffney MP also had a seat at the table.
All member attendees enjoyed facetime with the attending MPs at the dinner, and GTMC Chairman addressed the room, ensuring the issues affecting the business travel sector were addressed.
Paul Allan, GTMC Chairman, stated:
“We’re working hard to make sure that the needs and issues of importance to business travel are effectively voiced to government. Recently we’ve been speaking to decision makers on runway capacity, APD and open-access in the rail industry. It’s very important that business travel is viewed as an investment and not a cost.”
On Brexit, Allan added, “An increasing number of our members are asking us for clarity and the possible implications of a no deal. The reality is that while the government claims ‘Britain is open for business’, policy has not matched rhetoric. We should be doing everything in our power to create the conditions for economic success. In case anyone has forgotten, we are an island nation so it’s hard to see how levying the highest rate of tax on air travel in the world is compatible with this goal.”
The GTMC Parliamentary Dinner is the latest in the organisation’s on-going political lobbying activities.
Representing a diverse range of travel management companies – from global companies to small independent specialists and top regional agencies – GTMC, originally founded in 1967, is the voice of business travel and acts to lobby those who have an impact on the business travel community, together with promoting the activities of its members as the best in quality and value to the business traveller.