Fallout from Trump's travel ban continues

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives has responded to the announcement of the U.S. travel ban with a global survey aimed at measuring the emotional and economic impact of this policy.

The study found that fear and uncertainty were the prevailing sentiments among the 20 per cent of business travel managers who answered ‘yes’ to the question, “Is the U.S. travel ban from select countries posing travel difficulties for your company?” A further 39 per cent of respondents said that their corporate travel will be reduced either significantly or somewhat by the travel ban.

Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a statement in response to the executive order, and the ensuing confusion surrounding its implementation. While recognizing the right of states to protect their citizens by enforcing their borders, it asked the U.S. government for clarity on the current situation, and described the difficulty and confusion that was caused by the sudden issuance of the executive order.

“Entry requirements for the U.S. were changed significantly and immediately by the EO issued Jan. 27, 2017,” the statement read. “The EO was issued without prior coordination or warning, causing confusion among both airlines and travellers. It also placed additional burdens on airlines to comply with unclear requirements, to bear implementation costs and to face potential penalties for non-compliance.

“IATA asks for early clarity from the U.S. administration on the current situation,” it continued. “Moreover, it urges all governments to provide sufficient advance coordination of changes in entry requirements so that travellers can clearly understand them and airlines can effectively implement them.”