Hotel Online
News for the Hospitality Executive

.

advertisement



An Open Letter to the Industry on the Preservation of Government Conferences
Roger Dow, President, U.S. Travel Association

Dear Travel Colleague:

As Congress continues to advance restrictive legislation on government travel, it is important that the travel industry advocate for sensible reforms that preserve the government’s ability to hold ethical conferences.  U.S. Travel today put forth a positive proposal to strengthen oversight of government conferences that ensures federal agencies can still use meetings and conferences to provide valuable services to the taxpayer.

Just like the taxpayer, the travel industry depends on adequate oversight and ethical standards for all federal travel – because this is the only way that legitimate and productive travel can continue to take place.

Industry Proposal to Strengthen Oversight

To ensure that conferences remain an effective tool of the federal government that provides value to the taxpayer, U.S. Travel recommends that Congress:
  • Extend and enhance oversight provisions enacted in FY2012 by requiring federal agencies to report all conference-related expenditures and conference contracting procedures to its Inspector General at the end of each fiscal year; and
  • Ensure that agencies select conference locations based solely on cost-effectiveness by permanently eliminating the “blacklisting” of American cities for government conferences and meetings.
What to Expect from Congress This Week

This week Congress will consider several appropriations bills containing proposals to increase oversight of government conferences and curb travel spending.  The House is considering the FY13 Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations bill, which contains similar language to the U.S. travel proposal to increase oversight.  Meanwhile, the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee will markup its FY13 spending bill that requires the Department of Homeland Security(DHS)  report its conference spending to the DHS Inspector General every three months.

Additionally, the House and Senate continue work on the Postal Reform bill and the DATA Act, which contain concerning proposals by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) to severely limit government conferences.  No further action is scheduled for either bill at this time but we must do everything we can to fight this proposal.

Next Steps

U.S. Travel is meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to advocate for our proposal to increase oversight and preserve government conferences, while dissuading Members of Congress from supporting other measures that could have unintended consequences for our industry.  Additionally, we are continuing to focus resources on informing lawmakers on the value of meetings, events and conferences.

I will continue to keep you informed of further developments.

Sincerely,
Roger Dow, U.S. Travel President and CEO
Roger J. Dow
President & CEO


The U.S. Travel Association
is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry that generates $1.9 trillion in economic output and supports 14.4 million jobs. U.S. Travel's mission is to increase travel to and within the United States.  Visit www.ustravel.org.  Follow us on Twitter @ustravel
.
Contact:

Cathy Keefe
(202) 408-2183
[email protected]





Receive Your Hospitality Industry Headlines via Email for Free! Subscribe Here

To Learn More About Your News Being Published on Hotel-Online Inquire Here

Also See: Travel Industry Continues as One of the Prime Drivers of U.S. Economic Recovery; Travel-Generated Employment Adds 48,700 Jobs in Q1 2012, Contributing 6.1% of all Non-Farm Jobs Added During the Same Period / May 2012

Survey Shows Proposed San Mateo County, California Tax Hike will Discourage Travel to the San Francisco Bay Area, Severely Affecting Local Economy; Travel Industry Urges Local Residents to Vote No on Measures T, U and X / May 2012

Travelhorizons Report Offers New Insight on US Travel; While Recovery Continues for Business Travel Intentions, Americans Remain Tentative about Near-Term Leisure Travel Plans / April 2012

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Testifies in Support of Jobs Originated through Launching Travel (JOLT) Act; Urges Expansion of Visa Waiver Program to Simplify Process for Visitors to the U.S. without Compromising Security / March 2012

Rossi Ralenkotter, CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Calls for National Agenda to Strengthen Meetings Industry; Commences Term as Chair of the U.S. Travel Association / March 2012

Travel Employment Outpaces Rest of U.S. Economy by 34%; More than Half of the Travel Industry Jobs Lost During Recession Have Been Recovered / March 2012

U.S. Travel Association Launches 2012 Vote Travel Campaign; Plans to have a Significant Presence at the Upcoming Political Party Conventions and Host Nationwide Rallies and Events to Raise Travel Industry Profile / January 2012

U.S. Travel Association Analysis Shows Travel Employment Rebound in December with the Travel Industry Creating Jobs at a Faster Rate than the Rest of the Economy / January 2012

U.S. Travel Association Issues Statement on President Obama's Jobs Speech / September 2011

U.S. Travel Association Discusses Impact of 9/11 on Travel Industry; Releases Principles for Building a More Secure and Efficient U.S. Travel System / August 2011

Analysis of Labor Department Report Shows that the Travel Industry Accounts for More than 1 in 10 Jobs Created in 2011; Travel Jobs Continue to Increase for Eighth Consecutive Month / August 2011

U.S. Travel Association Releases Comprehensive Analysis Proving Tourism Promotion Campaigns Increase Visitation Resulting in More Jobs, State and Local Tax Revenue / July 2011

U.S. Travel Association Releases New Research Results Showing 49% of Travelers Alter Plans Due to High Travel Taxes; Launches Travel Tax Institute / April 2011

Roger Dow, President & CEO of the US Travel Association, Awarded the Spirit of Hospitality Award at Destination & Travel Foundation Dinner / February 2011
.

To search Hotel Online data base of News and Trends Go to Hotel.OnlineSearch

Home | Welcome| Hospitality News |
Industry Resources

Please contact Hotel.Online with your comments and suggestions.