GBTA joined the UK-based Business Travel Association and Institute of Travel Management to represent the business travel industry and their collective members on potential impacts to the sector and the market as the UK government prepares to announce its Autumn Budget on November 26, 2025.
In a statement to UK policymakers, BTA CEO Clive Wratten cautioned on behalf of the organizations: “Increasing the cost of traveling for work risks undermining growth at the very moment the UK economy needs it most.”
The organizations expressed concern related to several potential measures, including:
- A new overnight visitor levy
- A further rise in Air Passenger Duty (APD)
- The possible introduction of a pay-per-mile levy on electric vehicles
“Each of these measures, in isolation, adds friction to the UK’s economy,” the statement continued. “Taken together, they risk sending a signal that traveling for work, which is a key driver of national productivity, is being discouraged rather than supported.”
Additionally, GBTA, BTA, and ITM reaffirmed their commitment to working collaboratively with UK policymakers on solutions that foster economic growth without inhibiting business travel – with the goal of ensuring travel remains affordable, reliable and globally competitive.
Read the full statement here.
