Over 250 travel buyers were surveyed by Association of Corporate Travel Executives who voiced their concern about President Trump’s immigration ban on travellers who have citizenship in Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The ban also closed U.S. borders to all refugees from around the world for 120 days and halted immigration of Syrian refugees indefinitely.
Twenty percent of the companies responded saying the current US travel ban is causing their travellers difficulty. Of that group, 25 percent cite “fear of traveller harassment, fear of reprisals,” and “new uncertainty factors” as contributing to those difficulties. Thirty-nine percent of the 260 respondents stated the travel ban has the potential to reduce corporate travel.
ACTE’s Executive Director Greeley Koch said that these percentages are way out of line for an industry that is constantly under pressure. He added, saying that business travel is about people and people with bone fide visas should not be subject to fear, delays, or harassment over their visa document.
On the lasting impact of the ban, 1 percent project cancelled contracts between U.S. and Middle Eastern companies, 22 percent are concerned about intensified threats against U.S. travellers abroad and 23 percent project complications with existing travel arrangements for a significant number of travellers.
Koch also shared his concern about the health of the industry that supports business travellers. He said that it has the potential to impact airlines, hotels, restaurants, ground transportation—all the travel infrastructure
