The newS review
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gBTa'S laTeST gloBal Poll ShowS SignS of PoSiTiviTY
expedia sells egencia to amex gBT aMeriCan eXpreSS Gbt is to buy Egencia from Expedia, subject to regulatory approvals. The deal will see Expedia Group become a shareholder in GBT and enter into a long-term strategic commercial agreement with the TMC. Details were not disclosed. A spokesman for Amex GBT insisted the deal had not come about because of the impact of the pandemic. “M&A has been a component of GBT’s strategy for some time and we are always exploring strategic opportunities to accelerate growth,” he said. Ariane Gorin, President of Expedia Business Services, added: "We’re excited about our potential ownership in GBT and our long-term arrangement to power Egencia and GBT, as we do for thousands of other travel companies.”
tWO-tHirDS of GBTA members said their employees are “willing’’ or ‘’very willing’’ to travel for business in the current environment, according to the latest report from the association. In an April poll of nearly 1,000 members worldwide, the figure was 11 percentage points higher than in a similar survey in March. The GBTA said the latest results showed more positive signs for the business travel recovery. Just under one in 10 respondents said their company has already resumed non-essential business
global traVel management buYs baxter hoare assets GlObal travel ManaGeMent has acquired some of the assets of Baxter Hoare, which ceased trading earlier this year, including the TMC's name. GTM Managing Director Scott Pawley said he has not yet decided how to use the name in the future. He said he had long admired Baxter Hoare and added: "It's so cruel that the effects of the pandemic caused Baxter Hoare to have to call in the administrators."
[ NEWS BITES ] >> EDITION HOTELS has announced the opening of eight new properties, including sites in Rome, Madrid, Dubai, Reykjavik and Doha, plus a second property in Tokyo. The brand, conceived by Ian Schrager and Marriott International, plans further expansion in 2022 >> MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL will open its first Westin hotel in the UK later this summer. The 222-room Westin London City, due to open in August, will have a ballroom, other event spaces and a riverside location with views over Shakespeare’s Globe theatre and the Tate Modern >> JETBLUE has become the latest industry partner of the BTA, ahead of the launch of the airline's new services later this year between London and two U.S. cities – New York and Boston – on new Airbus A321LR aircraft <<
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travel, while an additional 13% reported their company now has in place a fully developed travel-resumption plan. Nearly a third (31%) said their company is actively working on a travel-resumption plan, while 20% said their company has begun the process but has more work to do. Only 18% reported no formal planning is underway, while 7% reported being unsure. Half feel more optimistic about the industry’s recovery than they did last month, with 43% saying they feel the same.
39%
drop in staff numbers
Figures released in April by the HBAA, based on a survey of nearly 100 of its members, show that since February 2020 there has been a 39% drop in the number of full-time staff within agencies in the meetings, events and accommodation industries
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