The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) has issued a stark warning to US Customs and Border Protection, arguing that proposed changes to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) could derail international commerce and weaken American competitiveness.
In formal comments filed last week, GBTA urged the federal government to adopt a balanced and practical approach. The association contends that overly aggressive data collection and restrictive application processes will discourage high-value international travellers and create significant legal friction with global privacy laws.
“Security and efficient business travel are not mutually exclusive. While GBTA strongly supports efforts to protect US borders and enhance traveler security, the proposed changes pose significant risks and could undermine the benefits that business travel brings to organisations who send their employees on international trips to the US and the American destinations who welcome them,” said Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA.
“A balanced approach will strengthen national security while ensuring that the US remains an accessible, desired and competitive meeting and conference destination for global business.”
The GBTA outlined several unintended consequences that could ripple through the travel ecosystem, including a greater administrative burden due to requirements for multi-year social media histories, phone numbers, and expanded family details. There is also a significant risk of compliance conflicts with international data protection laws, such as the European Union’s strict mandates on personal data collection. Furthermore, a mobile-only application system could create technical barriers that conflict with corporate security protocols, while longer processing windows may reduce confidence in predictable travel timelines.
New data released by the GBTA revealed a widespread sense of alarm, with a January 2026 poll of 571 travel professionals across 40 countries showing that 78 per cent are concerned about the proposed shifts. The impact is particularly sharp among European professionals, 67 per cent of whom say employees would prefer not to travel to the US if required to disclose extensive personal information.
This effect is already influencing corporate strategy; 43 per cent of companies reported they are now more likely to hold meetings outside the US, and nearly 20 per cent plan to revise travel policies to limit US trips.
The economic stakes are substantial, as business travel previously generated a US$484 billion impact in the US and supported six million American jobs.
The GBTA warns that if these requirements divert meetings, events, and investments to other markets, the US stands to lose its position as a premier global destination. The association is calling on the CBP to refine these measures to protect national security without sacrificing the vital economic contributions of international business travel.
