For Immediate Release
31 March 2006
ACTE
to Participate in WHTI Advisory Committee
Alexandria, Va (Mar. 31)
-- The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) is
asking its Canadian and U.S. members to comment on the potential
impact of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative -- which
will require residents of both countries to produce a passport
or combination of specialized documents when crossing the
border -- on business travel. The initiative is slated to
go into effect in 2008. According to ACTE Executive Director
Susan Gurley, the action is the result of an invitation for
the association to participate in an advisory committee studying
WHTI.
"The primary impact of WHTI seems to
be in the leisure sector," said Gurley, "as most
U.S. and Canadian business travelers serving the global market
already have passports for international travel. Nevertheless,
there are a number of U.S. and Canadian firms located close
to the border that are able to take advantage of the long-standing,
easy regulations that have traditionally permitted entry on
a driver's license. We're attempting to measure the cost of
WHTI to those companies."
ACTE's executive director acknowledged that
maintaining national security through tighter border regulations
may eventually prove to be the most cost effective means of
safeguarding future business travel.
A statement by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
made during a Senate hearing last year said that Canadian
visits generated $10.9 billion for the U.S. national economy
in 2003 alone. On July 29, 2005, the Canadian Tourism Commission
released a study on the potential impact of WHTI, using the
assumption of a current passport as the designated accepted
document that establishes the bearer's identity and citizenship.
For the period between 2005 and 2008, the study estimates
that a WHTI passport requirement would result in a cumulative
loss of some 3.5 million outbound trips by Canadians to the
U.S.
"The economic impact resulting from
these estimated 3.5 million trips into the U.S. is far greater
than just the cost of travel," added Gurley. "The
cumulative cost of lost business revenue generated from these
trips could be significant."
The current action represents a heightened level of activity
by ACTE and the federal government. Last year, the association
played a key role in persuading the State Department to develop
additional safeguards with the new Radio Frequency Identification
passport and testified before congress for the expansion of
communications options on aircraft, such as cell phones and
access to e-mail. ACTE's Airborne Contagion Advisory Group
was the first formal travel industry response to the threat
of pandemic, and has been working closely with the Centers
For Disease Control and Prevention. (Dr, Julie Gerberding,
head of the CDC, is the association's key note speaker for
ACTE's Global Education Conference in Atlanta, May 7-9, 2006.)
WHTI will be part of a broader discussion
focusing on regulatory issues and advanced travel management
practices in a special Canadian session to be held at the
Atlanta conference on May 7, 2006.
# # #
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives was founded
in 1988 as the education and research resource for the global
business travel management profession. With 2,500 members
in 40 countries, ACTE represents the bridge between international
corporate travel service purchasers and travel industry suppliers.
The association is best known for its travel industry studies,
surveys, position statements, and globally recognized travel
management best practices. ACTE members routinely save their
corporation billions of euros, yen, pounds, and dollars in
reclaimed business travel expenditures.
For more information, please contact:
Jack Riepe
t: 610-719-8396
c: 610-256-0124
e: [email protected]
Press registrations are now being accepted for ACTE's Global
Education Conference in Atlanta, May 7-9, 2006.
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