Skip to content

Search

Latest Stories

Associations welcome passage of federal omnibus spending bill

The bill would create a new assistant secretary position in DOC to coordinate national tourism promotion

Associations welcome passage of federal omnibus spending bill

THE RECENTLY PASSED federal $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill contains important gains for the travel and hospitality industries, according to several advocacy groups. That includes the Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act and the creation of a position in the Department of Commerce to coordinate travel and tourism industry strategy.

AAHOA, the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the U.S. Travel Association all welcomed the passage of the spending bill that was signed into law by President Biden on Dec. 29. All cited the OTTA legislation created by U.S. Sens. Jacky Rosen, Democrat of Nevada, and Republic Roger Wicker of Mississippi through the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.


What is the OTTA?

The elements of the OTTA include the Visit America Act, which authorizes the creation of the new position in the DOC. The new assistant secretary would coordinate a strategy across multiple federal agencies to increase travel and tourism nationwide through annual goals and recommendations.

“This means the industry will finally have a seat at the policy table after decades of advocating for this to occur,” said Laura Lee Blake, AAHOA president and CEO, in LinkedIn.com post.

The spending bill is “a tremendous win for travelers, the travel industry and America’s economy,” said Geoff Freeman, USTA president and CEO, in a statement.

“The idea to create a presidentially appointed, U.S. Senate-confirmed position to lead federal travel policy has been around for decades. Thanks to a bipartisan and bicameral group of congressional leaders, the United States will now join all G20 countries with a senior federal official focused on travel,” Freeman said.  “The assistant secretary will play an important role as we partner with government to lower visitor visa wait times, modernize security screening and leverage new technologies to make travel more seamless and secure.”

Other elements include the Protecting Tourism in the U.S. Act and the Ensuring Health Safety in the Skies Act which address the effects of COVID-19 on travel and tourism; and the One-Stop Pilot Program Act of 2021 that establishes a pilot program to study improvement of baggage screening.

“Over the past two years, tourism has been hit hard in Nevada and across the country because of COVID-19,” Rosen said last year when OTTA passed out of committee. “This bipartisan package will take important steps to enhance air travel health and safety, enact a comprehensive study on the pandemic’s impact on the industry, and better coordinate our national travel and tourism strategy across federal agencies. I will continue working across the aisle to ensure the full Senate passes this legislation quickly to support our businesses and bring back good-paying jobs.”

OTTA, or “TourBus,” was a focus of AHLA’s lobbying efforts, said Chip Rogers, AHLA President and CEO, in a statement. There were other important parts of the spending  bill as well, Rogers said.

“To help hoteliers continue to deal with labor shortages, the bill maintains the Department of Homeland Security’s authority to double the yearly allocation of H-2B visas,” he said. “AHLA will continue to impress upon lawmakers the critical importance of significantly increasing the cap on these visas to help hotels meet staffing needs.”

More for you

U.S. Hotel Construction Hits 20-Quarter Low in June

CoStar: Hotel construction drops in June

Summary:

  • U.S. hotel rooms under construction fell year over year for the sixth straight month in June, hitting a 20-quarter low, CoStar reported.
  • About 138,922 rooms were under construction, down 11.9 percent from June 2024; the luxury segment had 6,443 rooms, up 4.1 percent year over year.
  • Lodging Econometrics recently said Dallas led all U.S. markets in hotel construction pipelines at the end of the first quarter, with 203 projects and 24,496 rooms.

THE NUMBER OF U.S. hotel rooms under construction declined year over year for the sixth straight month in June, reaching a 20-quarter low, according to CoStar. Additionally, more than half of all rooms under development are in the South, mostly outside the top 25 markets.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chart showing decline in U.S. extended-stay hotel occupancy and RevPAR in May 2025

Report: May fifth month for drop in extended-stay occupancy

Summary:

  • Extended-stay occupancy fell 2.2 percent in May, the fifth straight monthly decline; ADR and RevPAR also dropped for a second consecutive month.
  • May marked 44 straight months of supply growth for the segment at 4 percent or less, with annual growth below the 4.9 percent long-term average.
  • Extended-stay room revenues rose 0.5 percent, while total industry revenue grew 0.9 percent, led by segments with little extended-stay supply.

EXTENDED-STAY HOTEL occupancy fell 2.2 percent in May, the fifth consecutive monthly decline, exceeding the 0.7 percent drop reported for all hotels by STR/CoStar, according to The Highland Group. Extended-stay occupancy was 10.5 percentage points above the total hotel industry, at the lower end of the long-term average premium range.

Keep ReadingShow less
Auro Hotels Showcases India Culture at TCMU Exhibit

Auro unveils 'India Cultural Corner' for children

Summary:

  • Auro Hotels opened the India Cultural Corner, where children can check in and explore Indian culture at The Children's Museum of the Upstate.
  • Families can engage with community art, activities and storytelling about daily life in India.
  • The exhibit runs through May 2026, offering interactive learning on Indian culture.

AURO HOTELS RECENTLY opened the India Cultural Corner at The Children's Museum of the Upstate in Greenville, South Carolina, offering a look into Indian stories for American families. The exhibition, held at The Grand Geo Hotel and running through May 2026, includes a hotel desk where children can check in and explore Indian culture through interactive activities.

Keep ReadingShow less
U.S. Firms Lose $2.4 Trillion by Skimping on Business Travel

Report: Business travel gaps cost U.S. firms $2.4T

Summary:

  • U.S. companies risk losing more than $2.4 trillion in sales due to underinvestment in business travel, says GBTA.
  • An 8.3 percent T&E increase could drive a 6 percent sales gain, despite post-COVID virtual meeting tools.
  • Current T&E spending is $294 billion—$24 billion short of the $319.1 billion needed for peak profitability.

U.S. COMPANIES ARE missing more than $2.4 trillion in potential sales due to underinvestment in business travel, according to a Global Business Travel Association report. Despite a post-pandemic rebound, travel and entertainment spending remains $66 billion below 2019 levels.

Keep ReadingShow less
AI threats in hospitality

Study: Cyberattacks on hotels to surge

Summary:

  • Around 66 percent of hotel IT and security executives expect more cyberattacks this summer, and 50 percent anticipate greater severity, according to VikingCloud.
  • Guest-facing systems most at risk include POS and payment technology at 72 percent, guest WiFi at 56 percent and front desk systems at 34 percent.
  • About 48 percent of executives lack confidence in their staff’s ability to detect and respond to AI-driven attacks and deepfakes.

APPROXIMATELY 66 PERCENT of hotel IT and security executives expect an increase in cyberattack frequency and 50 percent anticipate greater severity during the summer travel season, according to cybersecurity firm VikingCloud. In summer 2024, 82 percent of North American hotels experienced a cyberattack and 58 percent were targeted five or more times.

Keep ReadingShow less