Fabric Innovations Joins AH&LA Delegation in Storming Capitol Hill During the 2011 Legislative Action Summit; Deborah Herman, along with a passionate group of travel industry executives from around the country, aim to educate Congress on key issues facing the U.S. hotel industry / March 2011

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Fabric Innovations Joins AH&LA Delegation in Storming Capitol Hill
During the 2011 Legislative Action Summit

Deborah Herman, along with a passionate group of travel industry executives from around the country,
aim to educate Congress on key issues facing the U.S. hotel industry

MIAMI, FL — March 24, 2011 — The president of Fabric Innovations, a leading supplier of bedding, drapery and custom fabrics to the hospitality industry, was among the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) delegates that stormed Capitol Hill recently to educate Congress on key issues that impact the U.S. hotel industry. Deborah Herman joined an influential group of hotel and travel executives that stormed Capitol Hill during the AH&LA Legislative Action Summit, held March 15 and 16 in Washington DC. The group was armed with talking points provided by the association’s lobbying members, outlining the potential effects of pending bills on the U.S. hotel industry. As part of the Florida delegation, Deborah met with Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Congressman Bill Posey and United States Senator Marco Rubio during the session.

A primary goal of the AH&LA delegation was to oppose the Internet Travel Tax Fairness Act (ITTFA), which would create a special federal tax preference exclusively for third party intermediaries (TPIs) such as Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity, and hotels.com. One important fact brought to light during the meetings was that online travel service taxes are not remitted to local state and city municipalities, creating an unfair advantage to Online Travel Agents (OTAs).

Deborah's key agenda for the day was her aggressive pursuit of a bill that would shorten the extreme length of time it takes to obtain a U.S. Visa in the countries of China, Brazil and India. “There are a huge number of potential travel and tourism visitors in these regions who face numerous obstacles and long waits to get a Visa to come to the United States,” said Herman. “This represents hundreds of millions of dollars in missed revenue opportunities for U.S. hoteliers each year.”

(From left to right) Florida senator Marco Rubio; Brian Quinn,
Vice President Crowne Plaza and Hotel Indigo, Intercontinental
Hotels Group; Deborah Herman, president, Fabric Innovations;
Jonas Neihardt, Senior Vice President Government Affairs,
Hilton Worldwide; and Jack Healan, Jr., CHA, Consultant,
Omni Amelia Island Plantation

While speaking with Senator Rubio, Deborah was filmed by ABC News for a feature highlighting the day in the life of a new junior senator in Washington. The segment is scheduled to air March 28th on ABC News.

During the session, the lobbying group also extended their support for the Travel Promotion Act, which is funded by a small portion of international visitors’ Visa fees (not funded by citizen's taxes) and promotes tourism to the United States. It was pointed out that the United States spends less on tourism promotion than the small island country of Bermuda.

The Florida delegation of the AH&LA lobbying group included notable travel industry executives representing prestigious travel companies such as Hilton Hotels, America's Best Value Inns and Intercontinental Hotels Group, that together employ over 45,000 people in the State of Florida.

For further information, please call 305-860-5757 or visit www.fabricinnovations.com.

About Fabric Innovations

Fabric Innovations is a leading supplier of luxury linens, bedding and custom fabrics to the hospitality industry, specializing in long-term procurement programs for prestigious hotel properties and chains. Their extensive product line includes bedding, drapes and window treatments, custom fabrics, and bath products including robes and slippers. Fabric Innovations maintains its corporate headquarters in Miami, Fl. with regional offices and manufacturing facilities in the U.S., India, China, Turkey, Mexico and Latin America. For more information, please call 305-860-5757 or visit www.fabricinnovations.com.

For More Information Contact:

Margarita León
Director, Textile Division
Fabric Innovations
[email protected]
Tel: 305.860.5757

Media Inquiries, contact:
Andrea Roland
Plan A Public Relations & Marketing, Inc.
[email protected]
Tel: 407.905.0608

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