Opening Remarks to the June, 11 2003 Amsterdam Executive Forum
By: Nadine Dewart
Good morning -- Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed colleagues, and guests...
There was once a time when business travel management meant managing travel options to guarantee the greastest economic advantage to the corporate customer at the strongest convenience of the business traveler.
While that objective may still be true, it is now part of a broader objective -- to safeguard the business travel interests of the corporate consumer and the business traveler -- while helping to maintain the reasonable profitability of the travel service supplier.
That last part of the equation is a whole discussion in itself. A healthy travel industry depends on competition and growth. It should be apparent to everyone by now that no one segment of the business travel industry can grow or become profitable at the expense of the others.
Safeguarding the business travel interests of the corporate consumer and the business traveler has become a very complicated international issue. It now encompasses regional and national security measures, international law, and a basic knowledge of medicine and accounting. And safeguarding the business traveler also means protecting the data identities of the corporate consumer and the business traveler.
The identity of the corporate consumer is clearly spelled out in economic profiles collected by a dozen means. The ownership of these profiles -- who has access to them, and how they can be used -- has been the subject of debate for years. And now the data identities of traveling individuals may be subject to further scrutinty by various governments.
Europe has led the industry and the world in preserving the data of the corporate entity -- and above all, the information of the individual business traveler. European law has helped preserve the identities of data subjects (living people) in the face of growing identity theft and abuse. But this law may be challenged by international circumstances. As an industry, we must be able to answer that challenge and others. We must be able to counter emotion with facts.
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives is no longer content to simply interpret the impact proposed laws will have on our industry. Through increased membership surveys and industry interaction, ACTE plans to offer regional and national governments a higher level of input when considering regulations that affect business travel. This includes security, health matters, data privacy preservation, and taxation.
The fact that we are having a forum dealing with the issue of data privacy clearly illustrates how the role of the travel manager has changed. That ACTE is moving forward to create the most user-friendly -- but highly effective -- legistation and regulation around the world clearly shows that the role of the business travel association has changed too.
And though we must deal with the new issues confronting our profession, we have to also focus on the mechanics of the travel management function. Which brings us to the second part of this forum: the evolution of the GDS company.
We are attempting to put a face on the industry. That face is the face of reason and logical progression. And that face has a voice... Your voice, amplified by your experience, expertise, and willingness to speak out. In the next few weeks, your opinions will be sought by this association on a number of topics. I know you will give them freely, and with enthusiasm.
Thank you for coming today.
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