With its own data revealing an uplift in business travel to the UK last quarter (July–September 2024), Corporate Traveller, the flagship SME division of Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), is urging businesses – particularly those who book their own travel – to be aware of the UK’s new ETA requirement for visa-exempt travellers from 8 January 2025. Corporate Traveller forecasts the new rules are unlikely to make any dent in the travel growth rate to the UK but will require forward planning.
Electronic travel authorisation (ETA) systems are being introduced around the globe, with Australia among the first to introduce it in 1996, followed by the US (2008), Canada (2015) and New Zealand (2019).[1] Next year, the UK and EU will follow suite in a bid to improve border security and streamline entry processes for visa-exempt travellers. ETAs enable authorities to pre-screen inbound travellers against security databases before they arrive, track and trace their movements in and out of the country, ensure compliance with immigration laws, and prevent fraudulent documents through the inclusion of biometric data (with facial recognition included in the UK ETA).
The UK will introduce its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system on 8 January, with the EU to follow in May 2025.[2] Australian travellers can begin to apply for the ETA to the UK, from 27 November, with the fee set at £10 (AUD$20). Corporate Traveller Global Managing Director Tom Walley says travellers can expect to spend less time at airports, but more time planning beforehand.
He says: “Airports around the world are continuing to optimise productivity and passenger experience. For instance, even though Australia has an ETA in place, Sydney Airport’s T2 terminal is planning to cut passenger processing time with upgrades such as updated scanners and streamlined bag drop.
“While expected to improve border security processes, the new UK ETA changes the landscape of visa-free travel and requires more forward planning from travellers. Many frequent travellers will be well-versed in this sort of process with the USA ESTA that is in effect. While travel management companies such as Corporate Traveller always ensure customers comply with new policies, I urge businesses that organise their own travel to stay informed about changing entry requirements for their 2025 travel destinations. Travellers that have been accustomed to visa-free travel for years and who land in the UK without the ETA will be turned away. From May 2025, visitors will face the same requirements in the European Union.”
Corporate Traveller data shows that the UK has been Australia’s second-largest international business travel destination in 2024, following Singapore.
Tom says: “Our own booking data shows a 5 per cent year on year growth in business travel to the UK in the September quarter. This growth has been driven largely by the finance and insurance industries, which account for one in five bookings to the UK, compared with one in six bookings last year. Other key industries such as IT, government, and health care have also ramped up travel, as companies continue to recognise the value of meeting face to face to cement partnerships, grow sales and manage teams. Our booking data indicates Australia-UK business relationships are growing, with companies prioritising in-person meetings and expansion opportunities in the UK.”
More affordable airfares are adding to the momentum. Tom says: “Average economy fares between Australia and London dropped by approximately $200 in the six months to November 2024, year on year, with carriers like Singapore Airlines, Etihad, and China Southern offering the best value.”
Corporate Traveller’s data shows that Australian businesses have been taking slightly shorter, but more frequent international trips. To the UK, the average trip duration has decreased slightly from 19 days in 2023 to 17 days this year.
London Heathrow remains the dominant UK destination for Australian business travellers, with one in five trips departing Sydney and landing in Heathrow, followed by Melbourne-Heathrow at just under one in five trips making up that route, then Brisbane (making up one in 10 trips). After Heathrow, Manchester is the next most popular airport for Australian business arrivals, followed by Gatwick, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle.
