The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), representing the USD 1.57 trillion global business travel and meetings industry, has called on U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to adopt a balanced and practical approach as it evaluates proposed changes to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) requirements.
GBTA has submitted formal comments to CBP outlining concerns that overly burdensome data collection measures and restrictive application processes could disrupt global business travel, undermine corporate mobility and weaken the United States’ competitiveness as a leading destination for international travel, meetings and events. The association cautioned that the proposed revisions could have negative operational, economic and competitive implications for both business travellers and the organisations that rely on international mobility.
Commenting on the issue, Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA, stated, “Security and efficient business travel are not mutually exclusive. While GBTA strongly supports efforts to protect U.S. borders and enhance traveler security, the proposed changes pose significant risks and could undermine the benefits that business travel brings to organizations who send their employees on international trips to the U.S. and the American destinations who welcome them.”
“A balanced approach will strengthen national security while ensuring that the U.S. remains an accessible, desired and competitive meeting and conference destination for global business,” she added.
GBTA highlighted that business travel plays a critical role in global economic health, supporting trade, innovation, investment and collaboration. GBTA members alone are estimated to directly manage more than USD 363 billion in annual business travel spend. According to GBTA data from 2022, business travel generated an economic impact of USD 484 billion in the U.S. and supported approximately six million American jobs.
The association warned that the proposed ESTA changes could introduce unintended consequences across the travel ecosystem, including increased administrative burdens through expanded requirements for multi-year personal data disclosures, potential conflicts with international data protection regulations such as those in the European Union, and barriers created by a mobile-only application system that may conflict with corporate security protocols. Additional concerns include longer processing times, higher risk of errors, reduced predictability in travel planning and a potential deterrent effect on U.S.-bound travel, with meetings, events and investments potentially shifting to other markets.
GBTA also cited findings from its January 2026 business travel industry poll, which gathered feedback from 571 travel professionals across 40 countries. The survey revealed widespread concern over the proposed changes, with 78 per cent of respondents whose organisations regularly send employees to the U.S. reporting they were very or somewhat concerned. A majority cited increased difficulty in managing travel, higher business costs and reduced employee willingness to travel due to privacy and administrative concerns. Among European respondents, more than two-thirds indicated employees would prefer not to travel to the U.S. if extensive personal data disclosure were required.
The data further suggests a potential shift in global travel patterns, with a significant proportion of organisations indicating they may hold meetings outside the U.S., reduce business travel in both the short and long term, or revise corporate travel policies to limit U.S.-bound trips if the proposed ESTA requirements are implemented in their current form.
 has urged U.S. Customs and Border Protection to take a balanced, practical approach while reviewing proposed changes to ESTA requirements. In formal comments, GBTA warned that restrictive measures could disrupt travel and deter high-value international business visitors, undermining the United States’ competitiveness as a preferred destination for global meetings and conferences.){kind=link}