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The US Congress is squarely in the middle of negotiations for the next fiscal year, but the passage of six critical funding bills is being heralded as a win for the travel industry by the U.S. Travel Association (USTA) as it provides funding for the office of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism.
This new position was fiercely fought for by the travel industry at a crucial point in the post-COVID recovery and was signed into law through 2022’s Visit America Act. The person in the position will be tasked with helping to prepare US cities to welcome and attract international visitors for business, tourism, and conferences, as well as reduce the visa wait times and maximize economic potential of US tourism.
USTA President & CEO Geoff Freeman
“Funding this critical position is a step in ensuring the long-term global competitiveness of the United States. While other countries are laser-focused on growing their share of global travel, the U.S. has been stuck in neutral—in part due to a lack of a coordinated, whole-of-government approach to increasing travel,” says USTA President & CEO Geoff Freeman “The Assistant Secretary will play a valuable role in coordinating across the government to help innovate travel facilitation and address persistent challenges that stand in the way of growth. This position will also be integral as the U.S. prepares to host significant international events over the next decade—including the World Cup—and compete for a greater share of the global travel market.”
Although this is great news for those specific delayed bills, Congress isn’t out of the woods yet when it comes to funding the next fiscal year. It was reported that House Republican leaders and the White House had finally struck a deal for its last remaining sticking point—funding the Department of Homeland Security—but Congress has several bills to pass before the March 22 deadline.
Visit ustravel.org for more information.
[03.19.24]
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The GBTA Foundation, the charitable arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), announced the launch of GBTA’s Sustainable Procurement Standards, a free educational resource that corporate travel buyers worldwide can utilize to make informed procurement decisions and deliver on their organization’s sustainability objectives. Additionally, GBTA says that the standards align with the Biden Administration’s goals for a sustainable future for business travel.
Although the first set of standards focus primarily on the aviation sector, GBTA will release additional guidelines for other hospitality sectors—including hotels and ground transportation—in the upcoming months. Additionally, the association will hold sessions at their convention this July in Atlanta, as well as host a free webinar on April 3 to explain the new standards as well as answer questions. Click here to register for the webinar or here to register for the convention.
Delphine Millot of the GBTA Foundation
According to the press release, the Foundation along with the GBTA Sustainability Committee consulted with more than 50 leading companies in the business travel space over 18 months to develop the final text. The Sustainable Procurement Standards are available on the GBTA Foundation website, as well as in the GBTA Hub for GBTA members.
“One of the biggest sustainability challenges faced by the business travel industry around procurement is focusing on issues that are meaningful and driving positive change across the ESG spectrum,” said Delphine Millot, GBTA Foundation managing director and GBTA SVP for sustainability and advocacy. “This is why the GBTA Foundation convened the entire value chain of business travel to agree on common, global standards to benchmark the sustainability performance of airlines, hotels and car rental companies. The new Standards offer a practical solution for buyers to support their procurement efforts and streamlines the process for suppliers, ultimately fostering a more responsible travel ecosystem.”
Visit gbtafoundation.org for more information about the GBTA Foundation.
[03.19.24]
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- Category: Industry News
ABC Companies, the exclusive US distributor of Van Hool buses, shared a recent announcement from Van Hool about the bus manufacturer’s recovery plan, which includes a shift away from its Koningshooikt manufacturing site. Van Hool, whose biggest markets are North America and Europe, cites COVID, high energy prices, and worldwide inflation for its continued financial challenges.
ABC Companies CEO Roman Cornell
In ABC’s announcement, it was confirmed that Van Hool would focus on growing its manufacturing capabilities at its Macedonia facility, which has supplied vehicles to the US and Canada for the past decade. ABC says that North American customers should not be impacted by the restructuring.
“ABC Companies and the Cornell family fully support this decision and will be working closely with the leadership at Van Hool to ensure a seamless transition. While production for global markets will be shifting to the Macedonia facility, many key operations will remain at the Koningshooikt location. We are confident this restructuring will further enhance Van Hool’s capabilities and service to their global markets. We look forward to our continued partnership with Van Hool and a truly bright future” said ABC Companies CEO Roman Cornell.
Van Hool noted in its own announcement that production of buses and coaches would mainly take place at the plant in Skopje, northern Macedonia. In Koningshooikt, the IV (Industrial Vehicles) division would focus on semi-trailers requiring a higher degree of expertise and offering higher added value for the customer as well as for Van Hool. The B&C (Bus & Coach) division would keep its knowledge center, research & development, prototype building and after-sales in Koningshooikt.
Visit abc-companies.com for more information.
[03.19.24]