Los Angeles, CA – January 28, 2015 – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) today unveiled its 2015, “A Policy Agenda,” covering the priority issues most important to the health and success of the lodging sector.
The hotel industry is thriving and creating jobs and strengthening communities across the country. With nearly 5 million guests checking into hotels across the country every day, the industry generated $163 billion in lodging sales revenue last year, and raised $134 billion in business travel tax revenue – much needed dollars that go back into local towns, cities and states. Further, labor data show growth month after month, with our sector recovering from pre-recession lows and is now at its highest level since 2008. The hotel industry is also unique in its ability to offer entry-level jobs that provide good pay and benefits as well as quick opportunities for promotion. The majority of job positions in the lodging industry pay above minimum wage. Entry-level jobs offer a fast-track to upward mobility and serve as a gateway for new workers to enter the lodging industry.
“The American Hotel & Lodging Association will continue to showcase the power of our industry and the strength of our numbers in the halls of Congress and state capitols and city councils across the country, and push for policies that allow this job-creating industry to provide opportunities for entry-level workers to climb the ladder of success. What happens in Washington, D.C. has a significant impact on hotels – many of which are small businesses,” said Katherine Lugar, president and CEO. “Lawmakers must make every effort to protect these jobs: From safeguarding the franchise model to restoring a 40-hour work week to creating a level playing field when it comes to new entrants in the marketplace as well as with online travel companies to further increasing international travel to the U.S., these are all issue areas which preserve our industry’s ability to drive growth.”
Lawmakers, stakeholders and Administration officials can expect to hear from the hotel industry regarding the following topics this year:
Workforce
- Safeguarding the long-standing franchisor-franchisee relationship
- Preventing extreme wage initiatives that are too high and too fast, resulting in negative economic consequences
- Revising the Affordable Care Act to give employers and employees more flexibility
Technology and Distribution
- Protecting consumers from misleading online advertising in the hotel sector
- Ensuring tax parity for Online Travel Companies
- Creating a level playing field with the short-term online rental marketplace
- Curbing patent trolls and reforming the system
Travel and Tourism
- Promoting and increasing international travel to the United States
The policy agenda was revealed at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles. Co-hosted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and the Burba Hotel Network (BHN), the two-and-a-half-day ALIS event features an extensive array of seminars and panels hosted by leading experts and investors discussing important trends and identifying new opportunities. The conference attracts the lodging industry’s leading hotel executives, investors, lenders, developers, and professional advisory community.
