GBTA submitted a letter in response to the proposed changes, urging CBP to adopt a balanced approach that strengthens security without imposing disproportionate burdens or creating conflicts with international data protection laws.

You can read the proposal here, Docket ID USCBP-2019-0029-0006

We are asking you to contact Congress to express our concerns and to ask them to urge CBP to take an approach that mirrors GBTA's suggestion.

The following are responses to the GBTA's survey of questions regarding CBP's proposed changes:

• These proposed changes threaten to impact visa entry/exit systems and shake confidence in travel to the U.S. Among respondents who say their organization frequently sends employees to the U.S., three in four state they are very (42%) or somewhat (36%) concerned.
• Industry professionals are most concerned about managing travel to the U.S. (65%), citing increased challenges associated with sending people to the U.S. (64%), costs of doing business in the U.S. (63%), employee willingness to travel to the U.S. (61%), and challenges of hosting meetings in the U.S. (53%).
• European travel professionals are particularly concerned about privacy— two in three (67%) say their employees would rather not travel to the U.S. than provide such personal information.
• As a result of the proposed ESTA requirements, many respondents say their companies are more likely to hold more meetings outside the U.S. (43%), decrease near-term business travel to the U.S. (29%), decrease U.S. travel over the long term (25%), and change travel policies to limit U.S. travel (19%).
• Buyer, supplier and TMC respondents also feel employees may be less willing to travel to the U.S. (64%), and that planning U.S. travel is unpredictable and risky (60%).