US Travel Urges Congress to Act Now on COVID-19 Relief Legislation

The U.S. Travel Association continues to call on a deadlocked Congress to “come together immediately to pass meaningful legislation” relating to COVID-19 relief as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the travel industry.

Following reports that both chambers could soon consider separate actions on additional coronavirus relief, U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes released a statement on Tuesday highlighting the pandemic’s ongoing impact on travel and tourism and urging lawmakers to come to an agreement as soon as possible.

“It is crucial that leaders in Washington return to the negotiating table immediately and continue the important work they started. Since March, more than half of the 15.8 million pre-pandemic jobs supported by the travel industry have disappeared, leaving workers and small businesses in every pocket of America vulnerable to the economic pain of this public health crisis,” said Barnes, who put the pandemic’s impact on the travel sector in perspective.

“Underscoring the devastating effect this crisis has had on the industry’s jobs base is the fact that 34 percent of all job losses have been in the leisure and hospitality sector, though that sector accounted for just 11 percent of pre-pandemic jobs.”

U.S. Travel’s message has been consistent from the start as the organization continues to call for additional relief in the form of a Paycheck Protection Program extension and expansion, among other much-needed assistance.

“Clearly, there can be no nationwide economic revival without a recovery of the travel industry,” Barnes added. “Despite the robust relief measures enacted over the past several months, huge numbers of travel businesses are still unable to access any of the assistance programs. The Paycheck Protection Program needs to be immediately extended and expanded to include destination marketing organizations, without which an economic recovery will be constricted before it even begins.”

“Travel industry businesses and workers cannot wait until September or until after the election. Congress must come together immediately to pass meaningful legislation to provide relief, protection and stimulus to all segments of the travel industry,” she concluded.

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The U.S. Senate is currently adjourned for summer recess while the House is scheduled to return to Washington, D.C. this weekend to vote on a U.S. Postal Service bill, with some Democrats also hoping to make progress on COVID-19 relief legislation, according to NBC News.

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