WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has released what it called a “Roadmap to Recovery” for the hotel sector in the United States. In the document, AHLA notes that the April jobs report issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says the hotel industry was hit the hardest of any sector tracked, losing 7.7 million jobs. The AHLA wrote a letter on behalf of its members to the U.S. Congress urging it to prioritize hotel workers and small businesses during the next stimulus package and to provide immediate assistance in four areas:
- help hotels retain and rehire employees by extending the Paycheck Protection Program, (PPP) offering employees direct tuition assistance or tax credits and expanding the Employee Retention Credit;
- protect employees and guests through tax credits for cleaning equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE);
- keep hotel doors open by providing relief for hotel commercial mortgages and increasing the size and flexibility of PPP loans; and
- incentivize Americans to travel again when it’s safe with a new, temporary travel tax credit and restoring the entertainment business expense deduction.
“The hospitality industry is in a fight for survival,” says Chip Rogers, president and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based AHLA. “We are grateful to the leadership of both parties during one of the most difficult health and economic challenges we have faced. We are urging Congress to do even more to help the hotel industry so that our small business hotel operators can keep the lights on and retain and rehire employees.”
Click here to view AHLA’s roadmap.
Click here to read AHLA’s letter to Congress.