Washington – Officials with the Global Business Travel
Association say roughly $185 million in business travel bookings were lost in
the week following President Donald Trump's executive order blocking refugees
and people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US.
Though the travel ban is on hold while a three-judge
panel of the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit deliberates whether to
overturn a lower court's ruling, Mike McCormick, GBTA's executive director, on
Thursday urged the Trump administration to reconsider its merits.
"Upholding the travel ban will clearly cause a
rippling effect through the travel industry, ultimately hurting the
economy," McCormick said in a statement.
According data provided by the association, which
represents corporate travel managers and travel service professionals, business
travel transaction levels increased by 1.2 percent the week prior to the
announcement of the executive order, but decreased 2.2 percent the week
following the announcement of the ban. The association said that in 2016, 87.3
percent of US business travel was domestic; 12.7 percent was international
travel.
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An earlier survey of GBTA's US members found that about
three in 10 expected to see a reduction in business travel over the next three
months. Roughly the same percentage said the ban could affect travel for the
next six months and beyond. A second survey of international members found they
were evenly split on whether the ban would have an immediate impact on travel.
The surveys, however were conducted before a US District Judge temporarily
halted its implementation allowing travellers and refugees to continuing
entering the US.
The longer the debate continues the more difficult it
will be for the industry, McCormick said.
"The cloud of uncertainty could leave a lasting
economic impact," he said. "Large corporations and small businesses
alike will suffer. The biggest driver of our economic recovery of the past
seven years from the most recent downturn was international outbound
travel."
Trump met with airline executives Thursday where he they
discussed the need to upgrade and modernize the nation's airports and air
traffic control system. It wasn't clear whether the group discussed the travel
ban.