The Guild of Travel Management Companies is looking to almost double its membership in a bid to be more representative of the business travel sector.

The UK’s leading association for TMCs – whose 30 members currently manage around 80% of business travel spend in the UK – want to represent as much as 95% of total business travel spend.

Speaking at the GTMC’s annual general meeting today (January 20), new chief executive Anne Godfrey said:

“If we are serious about business travel sold then we should have more than 30 members.

“We need to be more open and welcoming. For any industry body to have an effective voice we need to aim for 90 to 95% of total business travel spend.

“It will add value.”

Godfrey will launch her recruitment drive at the Business Travel & Meetings Show, in London, next month.

Newly-appointed GTMC chairman Mike Hare said: “This is the biggest recruitment drive for new members in the history of the organisation.

“We want to represent the top 50 TMCs in the industry.”

On Tuesday (January 26), the GTMC will launch its first ever Business Travel Manifesto, “Making Travel Work”, at Westminster, ahead of the General Election.

Its aim is to push business travel as an industry sector further up the Government’s priority list.

The GTMC is also radically restructuring its membership criteria and scrapping the £7,000 joining fee which has put many potential members off from joining.

Hare also set out his priorities for his two year tenure, which include: representation, consultation and advice.