GBTA
Europe launched a new group for French travel managers after France's largest
travel management body decided not to join the Global Business Travel
Association's European network.
Most
national business travel associations formerly belonging to the international
Paragon partnership elected to become GBTA Europe partner associations when the new network launched in January 2010. L'Association Française des Travel Managers (AFTM) was one
a few that did not. While negotiations continued, GBTA Europe in June 2010 appointed
French media and training company Déplacements Pros to market the network in
France and run its Corporate Training Expert training and certification
program.
"We
continued discussions with AFTM but we have come to the conclusion that it
doesn't work for us or for them, but we needed a physical, membership-based
presence in France," said GBTA Europe managing director Paul Tilstone. As
a result, GBTA Europe created Le Groupe Français des Acheteurs Voyages, which it described as a network for travel
managers with international responsibilities rather than an association. "There
is no legal structure to it at the moment," said Tilstone. "It is a
networking group with no membership fee."
Membership is granted automatically to
French-speaking travel managers who complete the 1.5-day CTE training course.
So far, 41 travel managers have qualified, with as many as 80 expected by the
end of 2011.