Business travel lobbying “back to square one”
Saturday, 10 May, 2010
0
The GTMC is “almost back to square one” in terms of its influence as a lobbying organisation following the general election result.
According to chief executive Anne Godfrey (pictured), the hung parliament means that all bets are off when it comes to influencing the new government.
The good news is that most other lobbying groups are in exactly the same position, she added.
In her inaugural address at the GTMC annual overseas conference in Hong Kong, Godfrey told delegates: “The reason the GTMC can be a lobbying organisation is because everyone is behind what we are saying, it’s not all hot air.
“But we are almost back to square one. Come June or July how many of the contacts we have made over the past few months will still be there?”
However, she heaped praise on her predecessor Philip Carlisle who had done an enormous amount to get business travel on politicians’ radar.
“Gone are the days of politicians thinking all travel is two weeks in the sun with a bucket and spade.
“Thanks to Philip [Carlisle] they now recognise business travel as a separate entity in its own right.”
When asked how much hope the GTMC now has to be heard in Westminster, she outlined the advantages the GTMC has over other lobbying groups, which include: very focused and undiluted information; information with a high intellectual content; and the fact that business travel is a very niche market.
“This makes it easier to get across to politicians that business travel is important to the UK as a whole,” she added.
Godfrey also announced that the survey of members’ clients conducted earlier this year and which formed the basis of the GTMC manifesto will be re-run later this year.
The manifesto, launched in January, was drawn from 1,400 responses from business travellers – a figure which Godfrey described as “incredible”.
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Clearing CSS/JS assets' cache... Please wait until this notice disappears...
Updating... Please wait...
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt