Editor's Note: On April 27, 2021, the American Society of Travel Advisors released a statement regarding the status of travel agency inclusion within the SAVE Act (below):
"Since it was introduced last month, the list of 'co-sponsors' for ASTA’s top legislative priority, the Securing Access for Venue Equity (SAVE) Act (H.R. 2120), continues to grow. In the past few weeks, Representatives Ed Case (D-Hawaii), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) and Blake Moore (R-Utah) have all signed on — the latter two directly as a result of outreach from ASTA and its members (thanks to Jen Dunyon of Get Away Today for her work with Congressman Moore). It’s fair to ask your House member why they aren’t on this bipartisan bill, which would make travel agencies and other hard-hit businesses eligible for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program." Travel advisors are encouraged to reach out to members of Congress via the organization's advocacy portal.
The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) commended lawmakers for including travel agencies among the eligible businesses in a significant bipartisan COVID-19 bill — the Securing Access for Venue Equity (SAVE) Act — which provides hard-hit businesses with much-needed financial relief via a grant program created by the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2021.
The inclusion was one of several priorities ASTA was pushing for after President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill was signed into law on March 11.
RELATED: Does the $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Rescue Plan do Enough to Help Travel-Related Small Businesses?
The bill will provide financial support that is “sorely needed, as the travel agency sector has been catastrophically impacted and faces a longer recovery window than virtually any other industry,” according to a statement from Zane Kerby, president and CEO of ASTA.
Introduced in the House of Representatives on March 23, the legislation would make travel agencies eligible for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, which includes more than $16 billion in grant money allotted for venues that have shuttered due to the coronavirus. The grants will be managed by the Small Business Administration’s Office of Disaster Assistance.
“As we have said time and again, when government action has a disproportionally negative impact on a specific industry, it is a matter of fundamental fairness that the government provide targeted relief to the businesses most severely affected,” Kerby said. “With this principle as our North Star, we will keep fighting for relief until the travel agency sector is restored to health.”
When government action has a disproportionally negative impact on a specific industry, it is a matter of fundamental fairness that the government provide targeted relief to the businesses most severely affected.
Qualified travel agencies may receive grants in the amount of 45% of their gross earned revenue from 2019, with the maximum available amount capping at $10 million.
The legislation was introduced by Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), Charlie Crist (D-Fla.), Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) and Dina Titus (D-Nev.).
RELATED: 65% of All U.S. Jobs Lost in 2020 Were From the Travel Industry
“We commend Reps. Amodei, Crist, Pascrell and Titus for their leadership and for recognizing that the job of COVID-19 relief is not done,” Kerby said. “Through no fault of their own, the women and men in our membership are at risk of losing their livelihood and desperately need additional support. We call on every member of the House of Representatives to cosponsor this bipartisan bill and stand ready to do everything in our power to see it through to enactment.”
More details about the grant program can be found on www.sba.gov.
Ask Your Representatives to Get Onboard
ASTA is encouraging travel advisors to take action by calling their House Representatives and asking them to co-sponsor the SAVE Act. Phone calls are preferred over email.
Find your representative's contact information on ASTA's advocacy portal.
The Details
American Society of Travel Advisors
www.asta.org
