Once again, the U.S. Travel Association has implored Congress to enact policies that it believes will restore travel demand and provide relief to hard-hit businesses.
And this time around, it has more than 600 signatures to back it up.
In a letter sent to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Leader Chuck Schumer, Leader Mitch McConnell and Leader Kevin McCarthy, the association highlighted several key priorities that it hopes will kickstart travel demand, including passing the Restoring Brand USA Act, (which would restore the DMC’s budget and aid in its efforts to bring inbound tourists to the U.S.); replenishing relief funds for travel businesses; and introducing new tax credits and deductions to stimulate travel spending.
Industry members who signed the Jan. 19 letter represent all 50 states; Washington, D.C.; Puerto Rico; and Guam.
This latest correspondence is just one of many sent by industry groups to Congress throughout the pandemic. On Dec. 13, right before the first session of the 117th Congress wrapped up, the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) sent a letter asking leaders not to leave Washington, D.C. until they addressed the needs of struggling small businesses, such as travel agencies.
As 2021 came to a close, ASTA’s priorities were not met.
As relief programs run dry, it is deeply frustrating to our nation’s small businesses that Congress continues to kick the can down the road when they are facing existential business challenges entirely outside of their control.
One of the grievances mentioned by ASTA’s letter was the early termination of the Employee Retention Tax Credit (originally introduced under the CARES Act), which was set to expire a quarter early under President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“As relief programs run dry, it is deeply frustrating to our nation’s small businesses that Congress continues to kick the can down the road when they are facing existential business challenges entirely outside of their control … Without additional federal relief, our industry faces the prospect of continued agency closures and consolidation, mass layoffs and termination of independent contractor relationships,” according to ASTA’s letter, which was signed by Zane Kerby, president and CEO of ASTA.
Now, the Jan. 19 letter sent by U.S. Travel reiterates several of ASTA’s points and highlights the pandemic’s devastating financial toll on the industry:
“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the travel industry, costing the industry over $730 billion in lost spending since the start of the pandemic. According to Tourism Economics, domestic business travel spending will be 50% below 2019 levels in 2021 and 24% below 2019 levels in 2022.
“Similarly, international travel spending will be 78% below 2019 levels in 2021 and 28% below 2019 levels in 2022. Tourism Economics forecasts that without targeted federal policies to accelerate the return of business and international travel demand, both of these vital segments will not fully recover to 2019 levels until at least 2024."
Tourism Economics forecasts that without targeted federal policies to accelerate the return of business and international travel demand, both of these vital segments will not fully recover to 2019 levels until at least 2024.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the travel industry, providing additional federal relief and stabilizing policies will help all sectors of travel build an even recovery,” added Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president of public affairs and policy for U.S. Travel, in a statement. “Congress should enact these priorities as quickly as possible to enable the return of business travel and professional meetings and events, in addition to the international inbound travel segment.”
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