Background
Amex GBT contributes critical data to Government on the travel patterns of UK and international business that can give insight into decisions about which sectors are driving trade or FDI, what cities/regions are leading the trade push and travel trends during the pandemic.
How we assisted
We support the business in building up political support within government circles by contributing unique and bespoke data to inform their decision-making and use that capital to ensure that the policy framework underpinning corporate travel is supportive – be that airport expansion, regional connectivity, international agreements, aviation taxation, sustainable aviation, and post-pandemic recovery.
The outcome
- As a result of our work with Amex GBT, we have developed links into DIT, HMT and BEIS as well as those politicians scrutinising their work and UK Trade Envoys.
- We led the lobbying of No 10, HMT, DfT, the FCDO, BEIS and DIT over the various Covid regulations that stymied international travel. As part of this, we supported Amex GBT through their participation on a government-led G7 working group regarding the mutual recognition and interoperability of digital health certification to reinstate international travel.
- BECG Group secured meetings with several backbench MPs and provided briefings to lobby for a pilot air corridor between the UK and US. This led to our messaging feeding through via parliamentary questions, Westminster Hall debates and representations made to Ministers.
- In the summer of 2022, Amex GBT launched a sustainable aviation pilot with Shell Aviation, which we have showcased to DfT Ministers, officials and SpAds as well as groups like the Conservative Environment Network. In 2023, we are building on this by pivoting towards opposition parliamentarians, with a parliamentary dinner in the pipeline.
