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TRAVEL WEEKLY BUSINESS


GTMC CONFERENCE 2014: Martin Ferguson reports from Four Seasons Resort Marrakech


TECHNOLOGY:GTMC PLANS TO CREATE SYSTEM TO GATHER BUSINESS TRAVEL DATA


The Guild of Travel Management Companies (GTMC) plans to develop technology that would aggregate and anonymise its members’ transaction data. The business travel organisation, whose members manage about 80% of corporate travel spend in the UK, wants the information to bolster its ability to lobby politicians. It would give the organisation the


power to obtain rich data about air travel, accommodation and ground transport. Gareth Morgan, a director at Cavendish


Communications, a public affairs consultancy, and the driving force behind the GTMC’s political engagement, said the system would put the group in a better position to shape government policy. “It would have a majorly positive impact on the GTMC’s reputation [among the political parties],” he said. “For example, if there is an announcement or political interest about a geographical area we could respond quickly with rich data. “We would have unique statistics on


travel volumes to specific countries and cities and be able to identify which sectors of the economy were travelling. It would complement the GTMC’s survey data.” Morgan said the GTMC’s lobbying


strategy had been hugely effective in the past 18 months and that the group’s repositioning as the voice of the business traveller had been a success.


APD: TAX ‘STIFLING BUSINESS GROWTH OUTSIDE LONDON’


Tax levied on airline tickets is preventing business growth outside London and the southeast, according to new research. In a report entitled The Voice of the


Regional Business Traveller, the Guild of Travel Management Companies (GTMC) surveyed 1,039 business travellers who make long-haul trips at least three times a year. A third of respondents said they would do


more business abroad if APD were reduced. Earlier this year Paul Wait, GTMC chief executive, welcomed a government decision


Morgan: ‘We will have unique statistics on travel volumes”


CAR HIRE: BUSINESS TRAVELLERS OPT FOR


SHARING SCHEMES Business travellers are increasingly turning to car-sharing schemes in London, according to Louisa Bell of Avis Budget, which owns Zipcar. The company’s commercial director told


“The big difference is that we can back up our arguments in a compelling way”


“We’ve always been able to get people


in the room from the Treasury, the Department for Transport and the Shadow party,” he said. Morgan said it had not been difficult to


promote business travel to Westminster as politicians regarded those in the sector as potential supporters. “The big difference now is we can back up our arguments in a compelling way with data,” he added. “For example, we can now meet the


shadow rail minister, who is supposed to be scrutinising government policy and coming up with new policy, and go with a set of data to demonstrate the situation across the country.”


to cut APD on certain flights. But addressing delegates at the


organisation’s annual conference in Marrakech, he called on politicians to review its negative impact on the economy. “Everyone knows it’s unfair and is easy money for the Treasury,” he said. “It’s important we keep up the pressure to ensure the rate of APD keeps going down.” The survey also found 43%


of travellers in the regions either regularly or occasionally take non-direct flights to avoid paying APD. More than a third said they used non-UK


delegates at the GTMC annual conference that the “flexibility” and “ease of use” of membership- based schemes was attracting new users. “It’s sometimes difficult to get across how easy it is,” she said. “I doubted it would work until I tried it, but it couldn’t be easier. Once business travellers use the service for the first time they realise it provides a valuable alternative to traditional [rental] methods.” Avis Budget bought US-based car-sharing firm


Zipcar for $500 million in January last year. At present, vehicles are available in London,


Cambridge, Oxford, Bristol and Maidstone, but Bell said she expected the number of sites to grow. “Zipcar represents a space aligned to traditional car rental but it is also very different,” she said. When questioned about the potential of Google’s self-drive cars, Bell said she saw no reason for them not to become part of car rental fleets in the future.


hub airports because of better and more convenient flight times, while 27% said they used European hubs because their closest airport didn’t offer the necessary destinations. If Heathrow offered a wider


range of destinations, 34% said they would choose the London hub over its European competitors. “Huge numbers of


regional business travellers


are not flying from their closest airport or via a UK hub as they simply don’t offer routes to the


destinations required,” said Wait. “Unless this is addressed, the UK economy will continue to lose out.”


5 June 2014 — travelweekly.co.uk • 63


“Everyone


knows [APD] is unfair and easy money for the Treasury”


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