It’s not often that the world of business travel hums with optimism, but this week in Brussels, it practically broke into song. The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), representing the backbone of global corporate mobility, has thrown its weight behind a bold suite of European Union transport reforms designed to make business travel faster, greener and more joined-up than ever.
Over four days, GBTA leaders and members of its European Advisory Board packed in more than 20 meetings with European Commission officials, MEPs, and representatives from the upcoming EU Council Presidency. Their mission: to make sure the EU’s evolving transport agenda doesn’t just move passengers, but moves the industry forward sustainably.
A new tempo for business travel
Suppose you’ve ever sprinted through Frankfurt Airport to make a connecting flight or navigated the spaghetti junction of train timetables between Paris and Milan. In that case, you’ll understand the charm of GBTA’s message: let’s make European travel seamless, sustainable and secure.
Photo caption (left to right): Shane Downey, Vice President, Government Relations, GBTA; Fulvio Origo, Country Manager, Italy, GBTA; Magnus Brunner, EU Commissioner, Internal Affairs and Migration; Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA; Delphine Millot, Senior Vice President, Advocacy, GBTA
The association’s delegation pressed EU policymakers to enshrine business travel priorities into the continent’s new transport initiatives, many of which have been rolled out in recent weeks. These include upgrades to rail infrastructure, incentives for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), and plans for digital border systems that could soon make passport queues feel like a relic of the past.
“Business travel is a vital driver of economic growth, international collaboration and innovation,” said Suzanne Neufang, GBTA’s CEO. “Our meetings in Brussels reflect GBTA’s long-standing commitment to shaping a policy environment that supports traveller mobility, sustainability and modernisation. We look forward to continued dialogue and partnership with EU leaders to ensure the business travel sector remains resilient and forward-looking.”
You can almost hear the applause from corporate travel managers across the continent.
Seamless borders on the horizon
Central to GBTA’s discussions was the smooth roll-out of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), the latter often billed as “Europe’s ESTA.” Both systems, once fully operational, aim to tighten security while reducing travel friction for legitimate visitors.
In a meeting with the EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, GBTA underscored the need for coordination between the EU and the United States to keep business trips efficient. The association offered to collaborate with both blocs on clear, factual communications for travellers navigating the new procedures, a timely move given the potential confusion these digital gates might cause during early implementation.
Looking further ahead, GBTA also lent its support to the forthcoming EU Digital Travel Credentials (DTC), provided that privacy safeguards remain watertight. The group called for an opt-in, interoperable system that keeps sensitive business traveller data under strict protection. In other words, a future where one digital ID opens every gate, without opening a can of cybersecurity worms.
Aviation’s green renaissance
If border innovation is one side of the coin, sustainability is very much the other. The GBTA used its Brussels visit to champion the EU’s €3 billion Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP), which includes an eSAF Early Movers Coalition to accelerate Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production through 2027.
For context, SAF is the aviation world’s golden child capable of slashing emissions by up to 80% compared with fossil jet fuel. But with global production still a drop in the ocean, investment and policy alignment are critical.
The GBTA applauded the EU’s fresh commitment, urging policymakers to expand incentives for SAF adoption across the bloc. The group also reiterated its call for a swift rollout of the CountEmissionsEU framework. This transparency tool provides travellers with accurate, comparable data on the carbon footprint of every journey.
In short, it’s not just about getting from A to B. It’s about knowing what A to B costs the planet.
Riding the rails into a new era
Trains, meanwhile, are having a well-deserved renaissance. The European Commission’s plan to supercharge high-speed rail across member states has caught GBTA’s attention and approval. The initiative aims to eliminate the fragmented maze of cross-border timetables by introducing single-booking and ticketing systems, interoperability standards, and improved data-sharing requirements among operators.
For business travellers, that translates to fewer missed meetings, fewer carbon-heavy flights, and fewer excuses for being late to the 9 am briefing in Brussels.
GBTA’s leaders highlighted the importance of making rail a real alternative to short-haul flights, particularly on corridors linking major business hubs such as Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Milan, and Vienna. They also pressed for clear refund rules and journey continuation safeguards, simple guarantees that, if your train breaks down halfway to the boardroom, your schedule (and sanity) won’t be derailed.
These plans, GBTA said, dovetail perfectly with the association’s broader push for efficient, multimodal travel — a world where rail, air, and roadways work together rather than compete for passengers.
Recognising the role of business travel
Behind the technical talk and policy jargon lies a simple truth: business travel is economic fuel. It drives investment, forges partnerships, and underpins the face-to-face collaboration that remote calls will never quite replicate.
That’s why GBTA is lobbying for its sector to be explicitly recognised in the EU’s upcoming Sustainable Tourism Strategy, due next year. After all, when executives, innovators, and policymakers can meet in person efficiently and sustainably, everyone wins.
The GBTA’s Brussels meetings showcased not just advocacy, but leadership. The association’s willingness to collaborate directly with EU institutions marks it as a trusted partner in shaping the continent’s travel future, one that balances growth, sustainability and practicality in equal measure.
A shared journey ahead
Europe’s new travel systems, rail expansions and sustainability funds aren’t abstract policies; they’re the infrastructure of tomorrow’s mobility. With GBTA’s steady hand helping to steer, business travel could emerge not as a problem to fix, but as a model of innovation meeting responsibility.
As the association put it, collaboration remains the key. GBTA continues to invite policymakers, industry stakeholders and partners to co-create brighter, cleaner, and more connected travel solutions.
For those eager to follow or join GBTA’s advocacy work, more information is available at GBTA Advocacy.
And if the Brussels meetings are any indication, Europe’s business travellers can look forward to smoother tracks, cleaner skies, and one day perhaps a boarding process that actually feels civilised.
By Prae Lee – (c) 2025
Read Time: 5 minutes
About the Writer
You can tell a lot about a person by how they handle a busy Bangkok morning. Prae Lee doesn’t rush; she glides through it. There’s a calm certainty about her, the sort that comes from knowing where you come from and where you’re going.
Educated at Chulalongkorn University, she took her business degree with the quiet pride of someone who believes in doing things correctly. Her travels for further study in Singapore and Australia didn’t change her; they polished what was already there: curiosity, discipline, and grace.
She returned to her family business in Bangkok, breathing a little modern life into it. She handled social media with the intuition of someone who listens and sells with the gentle persistence the Thais do so well.
Prae doesn’t make a fuss, but everything she touches shines brighter.
Now part of the Global Travel Media family, Prae brings authenticity and quiet confidence to her writing, drawing from a life steeped in culture, travel, and connection.
