Proposed changes to US entry rules pose ‘significant risk’ to business travel

Planned changes to US entry rules for international visitors pose “significant risks”, the Global Business Travel Association has warned.

 

Proposed changes to Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (Esta) requirements would require travellers seeking to enter the US from 42 visa waiver programme countries to provide “significantly expanded” personal, digital and family information.

 

The GBTA disclosed “substantial and widespread” concern about the Esta changes from a poll of 571 travel industry professionals across 40 countries:

The survey found that: 

• 78% of those representing organisations that regularly send employees to the US are “very” (42%) or “somewhat” (36%) concerned. 

• 65% cite increased difficulty managing travel and 64% the added complexity in sending travellers to the US. 

• 63% expect higher costs of doing business in the US, while 61% say employees may be less willing to travel due to privacy concerns or administrative burdens. 

• Among European travel professionals, 67% say employees would prefer not to travel to the US if required to disclose extensive personal information. 

• 43% say their companies are more likely to hold meetings outside the US. 

• 29% expect a near‑term decrease in US business travel, while 25% anticipate long‑term decreases 

• 19% plan to revise travel policies to limit US trips 

GBTA members are estimated to directly manage more than $363 billion in annual business travel spend. Additionally, business travel had an economic impact of $484 billion in the US and supported six million American jobs in 2022.

 

The organisation is urging US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to adopt a “balanced and practical approach” as it evaluates the potential changes.

 

“Overly burdensome data collection measures and restrictive application processes could disrupt global business travel, undermine corporate mobility, and weaken the US’s position as a premier destination for international travel and meetings ─ notwithstanding the risk of negative impacts on business travelers and the organisations that depend on them,” the GBTA warned.

Chief executive Suzanne Neufang added: “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.  

“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 proposed ESTA changes could introduce “unintended consequences” that ripple through the entire travel ecosystem, the GBTA warned.

 

These include: 

• Greater administrative burden due to new requirements to provide data for multiple years for social media accounts, phone numbers, email addresses, expanded family details, and potential biometric submissions. 

• Compliance conflicts with international data protection laws, including the European Union mandates on strict limits for personal data collection, transparency and cross‑border data safeguards. 

• Barriers to travel created by a mobile‑only application system, which conflicts with corporate security protocols and restricts access for travelers without compatible devices. 

• Longer processing and approval windows, increased risk of errors or omissions, and reduced confidence in predictable travel timelines - particularly during peak global travel periods. 

• A “chilling effect” on US-bound travel, potentially diverting meetings, events and investments to other markets.