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Corporate Traveler is urging businesses to be aware of the UK’s new ‘Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) requirement for visa-exempt travelers from 8 January 2025.
Corporate Traveler forecasts the new rules are unlikely to make any dent in the travel growth rate to the UK but will require forward planning.
Electronic travel authorization (ETA) systems are being introduced around the globe, with Australia among the first to introduce it in 1996, followed by the US (2008), Canada (2015) and New Zealand (2019). This year, the UK and EU will follow suit in a bid to improve border security and streamline entry processes for visa-exempt travelers.
ETAs enable authorities to pre-screen inbound travelers against security databases before they arrive, track and trace their movements in and out of the country, ensure compliance with immigration laws, and prevent fraudulent documents through the inclusion of biometric data (with facial recognition included in the UK ETA).
The UK will introduce its Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system on 8 January, with the EU to follow later this year. The UK’s ETA, costing £10 (AUD$20), will apply to most non-European countries, with this including citizens from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea.
Corporate Traveler Global Managing Director Tom Walley says travelers can expect to spend less time at airports, but more time planning beforehand.
He says: “While expected to improve border security processes, the new UK ETA changes the landscape of visa-free travel and requires more forward planning from travellers. Many frequent travelers will be well-versed in this sort of process with the USA ESTA that is in effect.
“While travel management companies such as Corporate Traveler always ensure customers comply with new policies, I urge businesses that organize their own travel to stay informed about changing entry requirements for their 2025 travel destinations.
“Travellers that have been accustomed to visa-free travel for years and who land in the UK without the ETA will be turned away. From later this year, visitors will face the same requirements in the European Union.”
Corporate Traveler data shows that the UK was Australia’s second-largest international business travel destination in 2024, following Singapore.
Tom says: “The growth has been driven largely by the finance and insurance industries, which account for one in five bookings to the UK, compared with one in six bookings last year.
“Other key industries such as IT, government, and health care have also ramped up travel, as companies continue to recognize the value of meeting face to face to cement partnerships, grow sales and manage teams.
“Our booking data indicates Australia-UK business relationships are growing, with companies prioritizing in-person meetings and expansion opportunities in the UK.”
More affordable airfares are adding to the momentum. Tom says: “Average economy fares between Australia and London dropped by approximately AUD$200 in the six months to November 2024, year on year, with carriers like Singapore Airlines, Etihad, and China Southern offering the best value.”
Corporate Traveller’s data shows that Australian businesses have been taking slightly shorter, but more frequent international trips. To the UK, the average trip duration has decreased slightly from 19 days in 2023 to 17 days this year.
London Heathrow remains the dominant UK destination for Australian business travellers, with one in five trips departing Sydney and landing in Heathrow, followed by Melbourne-Heathrow at just under one in five trips making up that route, then Brisbane (making up one in 10 trips ).
After Heathrow, Manchester is the next most popular airport for Australian business arrivals, followed by Gatwick, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle.
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