NBTA Groups Applaud U.S.-Germany Trusted Traveler Program
Alexandria, VA - April 16, 2010 - The National Business Travel Association (NBTA), the voice of the global business travel industry, today applauded the move by U.S. and German authorities to launch a partnership to link the nations' international trusted traveler programs. Under a joint statement signed this week, the United States and Germany will develop processes for qualified citizens of either country to apply for the United States' Global Entry program and Germany's Automated and Biometrics-Supported Border Controls (ABG) program.
Michael W. McCormick, NBTA Executive Director & COO, said, “NBTA has been calling for international registered traveler partnerships for years, and we're excited to see two of the world's largest business travel markets work together to unify these risk management programs. Extending the benefits of each program to foreign travelers will help facilitate travel and trade between these two powerful nations, while at the same time enhancing homeland security protocols for both countries.”
Paul Tilstone, NBTA Europe Managing Director, said, “Partnerships like this are exactly what European nations need to help get travelers back in the sky and keep corporations on the road to recovery. Business with the United States is vital to the European economy, and vice versa. This new joint trusted traveler initiative will pave the way for more efficient transatlantic travel and commerce exchange.”
Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program allowing pre-approved members an alternative to regular passport processing lines. ABG serves a similar function for German citizens, using biometric information to identify trusted travelers.
The United States and the Netherlands last year launched the FLUX Alliance, which allows citizens of the Netherlands to apply for the U.S. Global Entry Program and U.S. citizens to enroll in the Netherlands's Privium program for expedited entry into Amsterdam.
McCormick added, “The governments of these nations have set a wonderful example of how countries can work together to make international travel faster and safer. We look forward to additional global partnerships as these international registered traveler programs grow.”
ABOUT NBTA
The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) is the world's premier business travel and corporate meetings organization. NBTA and its regional affiliates - NBTA Australia/New Zealand, the Brazilian Business Travel Association (ABGEV), NBTA Canada, NBTA Europe, NBTA Mexico, and NBTA USA - serve a network of more than 17,000 business travel professionals around the globe with industry-leading events, networking, education & professional development, research, news & information, and advocacy. NBTA members, numbering more than 5,000 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$340 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually on behalf of more than 13 million business travelers within their organizations. For more information, visit www.nbta.org.
ABOUT NBTA EUROPE
NBTA Europe is the only buyer-led business travel and meetings industry network across Europe. The network is part of the National Business Travel Association (NBTA), the world's premier business travel and corporate meetings organisation, with a role to lead debate, networking, education, advocacy, events and innovation in the business travel and meetings sector. NBTA Europe represents more than 2,000 regional corporate and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers. Members of the network collectively manage and direct more than €100 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually on behalf of more than 3 million business travelers within their organisations.
NBTA Europe is powered by the Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM). For more information, visit www.nbtaeurope.org.
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