NBTA Encourages Informed Decision-making
ALEXANDRIA, VA, April 30, 2009 - The National Business Travel Association (NBTA), the leading association representing the business travel industry - today encouraged companies to continue to make informed and measured business decisions regarding traveling during the spread of swine flu.
NBTA noted that neither the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nor the World Health Organization (WHO) has made any indication to date that travel by airplane, bus or rail exposes travelers to any risk of contracting H1N1. In his statements, President Obama has consistently encouraged only those who are sick to stay home, a position consistent with the information presented at this time by medical and public health professionals, giving no indication that the swine flu can be passed by the type of casual contact people have on planes.
NBTA President & CEO, Kevin Maguire, CCTE, GLP, said, "Our initial survey data shows that travel managers are doing their due diligence to help their companies make smart travel decisions at this difficult time. The information provided to date by the CDC and WHO has been tremendously important in that process. It's important that companies and individuals continue to receive straight-forward, scientifically-based information from public officials so they can make informed decisions."
To help companies stay informed about swine flu, NBTA has created a special page on its website -- www.nbta.org/swineflu -- to provide updates and links to the latest developments. Watch this page to find the results of NBTA's swine flu survey, which is currently in the field.
The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) is the world's premier business travel and corporate meetings organization. NBTA and its regional affiliates - NBTA Asia Pacific, the Brazilian Business Travel Association (ABGEV), NBTA Canada, NBTA Mexico, and NBTA USA - serve a network of more than 15,000 business travel professionals around the globe with industry-leading events, networking, education & professional development, research, news & information, and advocacy. NBTA members, numbering more than 4,000 in 30 nations, are corporate and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers. They collectively manage and direct more than US$200 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually on behalf of more than 10 million business travelers within their organizations. For more information, visit www.nbta.org.
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