WASHINGTON, D.C.—Rosanna Maietta, president and chief govt officer of the American Resort & Lodging Affiliation (AHLA), testified earlier than the Home Vitality and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Commerce to emphasise the position inns play within the U.S. economic system. Maietta urged motion on coverage points that may form the way forward for American journey and tourism—significantly because the nation prepares to host international occasions just like the World Cup, America 250, and the 2028 Olympic Video games.
Maietta underscored that journey and tourism stay highly effective financial engines, producing almost $900 billion in GDP yearly, contributing $83 billion in tax income, and supporting one in each 25 American jobs. With these occasions on the horizon, she known as on Congress to assist make sure the nation’s inns are ready for the inflow of holiday makers and proceed driving financial progress in communities throughout the nation.
“Nearly all of U.S. inns are small companies and important financial engines of their communities,” Maietta stated. “But 5 years after the onset of the pandemic, our business continues to be on the trail to restoration. Rising working bills – from insurance coverage premiums and rates of interest to labor and healthcare prices – have elevated 4 instances quicker than revenues. Regardless of these hurdles, inns stay open, resilient, and dedicated to serving their communities.”
Maietta additionally highlighted the optimistic impression of the tax reform invoice signed into regulation this summer season, which supplied long-needed readability for resort house owners and ensured that greater than 800,000 resort staff will preserve extra of their earnings beneath the “No Tax on Suggestions” provision. Wanting ahead, Maietta outlined 4 key coverage suggestions that Congress can act on to strengthen the resort business and help the broader journey economic system:
- Proceed to induce the U.S. Departments of Homeland Safety and Labor to launch the utmost allowable variety of supplemental H-2B visas.
- Restore full funding to Model USA by way of passage of the VISIT USA Act.
- Attain a long-term funding bundle to forestall one other authorities shutdown on the finish of January.
- Help the American Franchise Act, which supplies readability and safety to protect the franchise relationship and safeguard model requirements
