Southern Lodging Summit 2011

AH&LA’s Top Governmental Affairs Issues

• Travel & Tourism Promotion• Labor Issues• Internet Travel Tax Fairness Act (ITTFA)• H2B• New ADA Regulations

Travel Promotion Act (signed into law 2010)• Public-private partnership: explain U.S. security policies and attract

millions of international visitors through advertising campaign• Created “Corporation for Travel Promotion”

Corporation for Travel Promotion• Named Jim Evans CEO May 17 - 30 year hotel industry veteran• No-taxpayer money /ESTA funds to date = $85 million • TPA estimated to attract 1.6 million new international visitors• The campaign is expected to debut in early 2012

Travel & Tourism

Discover America Partnership Coalition Leadership:

• AH&LA, USTA, Chamber of Commerce & National Retail Federation

• Over 50 members: Ex. Hotels, Restaurants, Unions, U.S . Conference of Mayors, Consumer Electronics Assoc.

Priorities:• Make Visa offices responsive to demand • Reduce visa interview wait time• Expand the Visa Waiver Program

Travel & Tourism

• Audit Letters Being Issued

• Congressional Activity• Oversight - Make DOL responsive through

hearings/funding mechanisms• Appropriations - Eliminate funding for X,Y,Z activity

Department of Labor (DOL) Audits

Labor Issues

H-2B Regulations• H-2B Program critical to secure temporary seasonal workers

• Dept. of Labor proposed new rules that jeopardizes program:

• Increases H-2B pay to essentially union wages

• All other employees also raised to same wage level

• Transport, advertising, etc. requirements effectively makes program unusable

• AH&LA co-chairs H-2B coalition

• Working on legislation and litigation to block rule implementation

H-2B Regulations

• Ambush Elections• NLRB to shorten time for Union elections to 7-10 days

• Gag Order on Employers• DOL rulemaking to change public discourse requirements

• Specialty Health Care• Micro-Unions (Gerrymandering the workforce)

Fighting Back-Door Card Check

Labor Issues

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (R-NY)

Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC)

Internet Travel Tax Fairness Act (ITTFA)

Online Hotel Booking Tax

What’s at Issue• Proposed legislation would exempt OTCs from paying

any taxes on retail rate• Creates preferential tax treatment

Online Hotel Booking Tax

Current Situation• Stalled on the Federal level – appearing at State level• Florida – AH&LA killed bill this session• AH&LA strategy for PSAs & state action

Bloomberg TV

National Landscape

Booking Travel Online May be Costing States Half a Billion in

RevenueFebruary 5, 2011

Cities Sue Online Firms Over Unpaid Hotel Taxes

April 12, 2011

Cities, States in hotel tax war with Orbitz, Expedia, Others

October 22, 2010

Online Travel Industry Wants Reid To Stick Around.

September 25, 2010

Florida – A Key Battleground

Stop unfair tax breaks for companies

April 20, 2011

Bill gives online travel companies unfair advantage

April 9, 2011

Report Says Florida among states with

tax loophole costing millions

April 13, 2011

Online carpetbaggers fleece Florida

April 6, 2011

Bill to help online-travel companies squeaks through

another stop April 6, 2011

Our Opinion: Online travel hijinks

April 1, 2011

Florida and local governments are losing out when it comes to

online travel tax breaksApril 5, 2011

Make websites pay full share: Florida counties are getting stiffed $23

million in bed-tax revenue

March 18, 2011

Web Companies Would Get Break

April 5, 2011

Around The StatesGEORGIA

Georgia Supreme Court considers

whether online travel firm is shortchanging

city on hotel taxMarch 15, 2011

HAWAIIHawaii to pursue $170M in unpaid hotel room taxes

April 24,2011

State Pursues $170 Million in Unpaid Hotel Room Taxes from Online

Travel CompaniesMarch 23, 2011

NEW JERSEY

Our views: Collect what's due

March 20, 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C.DC latest to sue

online travel companies over tax

March 22, 2011

D.C. to sue online firms for unpaid taxes

March 22, 2011

District enters the fight to recover tax

revenue from online hotel vendors

March 27, 2011

D.C. to sue Internet travel companies

March 21, 2011

1. Reservations2. Water Closet Clearances3. Power Mobility Devices4. Vanity Equity5. Service Animals6. Parking7. Guestroom Door Signage8. Pools & Spas9. Reach Range Requirements10. Exercise Equipment11. Service Counters

ADA Regulations – Top 11 Changes

HotelPAC: AH&LA’s Political Action Committee Voice of the lodging industry on Capitol Hill

HotelPAC

March 12 -13, 2012 Washington DC

Legislative Action Summit

Contact Information

Marlene ColucciExecutive Vice President for Public Policy

American Hotel & Lodging Association

(202) 289-3121 / mcolucci@ahla.com