Welcome to another edition of the GBTA Global Advocacy Newsletter - the monthly reminder that global business travel is held together by equal parts policy, caffeine, and collective optimism. As I was listening to songs, this one popped up, YES, I was a little punk with a spectacular mullet and was raised in part on Judas Priest, but the song brought to mind that nobody in charge really has control. How true is that for global business travel!!

This month's theme? Governments everywhere have officially moved from "we should really do something about this" to "we're now writing 400 pages of regulations about it." Across the U.S., Europe, and Canada, policymakers are busy reshaping the rules of travel while the rest of us are just trying to get through security lines, expense reports, and figuring out whether the charger, passport, and noise-canceling headphones all made it into the carry-on this time.

In Washington, lawmakers are still debating issues like in-flight voice calls - proving that even in 2026, lawmakers are still dealing with issues like in-flight voice calls, that we thought had solved back in 2018 with an overwhelming vote! Can you imagine sitting next to someone in a plane hearing that terrifying "Can you hear me now" statement! Meanwhile, Europe continues its grand experiment of regulating absolutely everything connected to mobility, emissions, passenger rights, and probably eventually the emotional wellbeing of delayed travelers. And Canada is attempting something genuinely radical: making visa processing more predictable.

Beneath the politics and acronyms, though, the stakes are real. Operational resilience, border efficiency, emissions transparency, traveler rights, and workforce stability are no longer abstract policy debates - they're becoming daily realities that directly affect managed travel programs, budgets, and traveler experience. In other words: the rules are changing, the deadlines are approaching, and nobody can find the final version of the compromise text.

As always, GBTA is in the middle of these conversations - advocating for practical solutions, fewer unintended consequences, and policies that acknowledge business travel is still essential to global commerce, even if governments occasionally seem surprised people still leave their homes for meetings.