GBTA REMAINS BULLISH IN FACE OF IRAQ WAR

War in Iraq may be looming, but the influential Guild of Business Travel Agents is remaining bullish and claims that travel management companies come into their own during times of international tension.

If war breaks out in the Middle East, the Guild believes business travel agents will play a vital role in tracking and tracing corporate travellers and laying on 24 hour services to re-route them.

"Companies will need to keep closer tabs on their travelling executives – not only for the sake of business efficiency, but to protect family and friends from unnecessary anguish," says Philip Carlisle, Chief Executive of the GBTA.

"Jet-setting employees forced to make last-minute changes to their travel itineraries may be blissfully unaware they are heading for problems. It is all too easy for the busy traveller to miss news headlines about trouble ahead. Our members will be able to track them down and either get them home or re-route them to where they need to be."

In the travel disruption following the New York World Trade Centre attacks, Guild members were able quickly and efficiently to extricate stranded travellers and to keep companies and families informed.

"While we earnestly hope that our expertise will not be needed, growing tensions in the Middle East and elsewhere underline the importance of ensuring the safety of our members' customers," concludes Carlisle.

Editors note: the GBTA's 36 travel management company members handle some 80% of business travel in the UK. Some 45% of all scheduled air tickets in the UK are sold via GBTA members. Their combined turnover amounts to around £7 billion a year.

For media information: Vanessa Aves/Steve Dunne, Brighter PR, tel: 020 7603 2168, email: Vanessa.aves@brighterpr.co.uk

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