Mar 04
Ashley SpitzerNews economy, Keep America Meeting, meeting industry, travel promotion act
Guest Blog Post – courtesy of Rob Hard
President Obama signed the U.S. Travel Promotion Act into law (March 4, 2010), creating a nonprofit organization (public-private partnership) that will be overseen by the U.S. Commerce Department to promote the U.S. as a business travel and tourism destination – and help explain security and entry policies into the country. Politicians and many in the U.S. hospitality industry proclaim this as a victory.
The national tourism office will be funded with up to US$200 million to create a marketing campaign to international visitors. Sounds great, right? Not so fast. At least half of this money will come from a new tax scheme.
A US$10 fee will be charged to international visitors from 35 countries that participate in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to cover up to US$100 million of the budget. The fee would be assessed once every two years, allowing unlimited visits into the U.S. during that time. The legislation also allows the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to charge a separate administrative fee which some say will amount to US$2-3 per transaction to manage the program – costing another US$20-30 million each year. Individuals are likely to incur personal credit card fees as well.
The other US$100 million will be covered by a combination of in-kind and cash investments contributed by third parties in the U.S. tourism industry – most of these organizations already have a financial interest in promoting themselves to international travelers.
While the fees may sound nominal, it’s something that has many people from the impacted countries upset, says Steve Lott, spokesperson for the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Washington, DC.
“Other countries charge their entry/exit fees every time you enter,” a US Travel Association spokesperson explains. “The US$10 fee is far lower than similar fees – ranging from Ireland’s US$14 entry tax to the UK’s whopping US$100 – paid by Americans when they travel abroad. And with a mere 35 countries that would be required to pay the fee, fewer than 30% of foreign travelers will be affected.”
The USTA’s reference to the UK may be appropriate; however, the UK’s Air Passenger Duty (tax) is viewed quite controversially, and some in the UK are concerned that it will negatively impact tourism as the fee continues to increase. The UK introduced a small fee to generate needed revenue in 1993, and the tax has grown significantly since then. And just because someone else charges a fee isn’t enough of a reason for others to follow.
The IATA has taken a position against the U.S. fee, saying that an entry or exit fee charged by other countries is a matter of comparing apples to oranges: none of the 35 countries have a tourism-specific fee.
IATA isn’t the only business travel organization against the fee. The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) doesn’t support it either “because it taxes the traveler to pay for an item that doesn’t tangibly benefit the traveler,” says Shane Downey, director of public policy for the NBTA, Alexandria, Virginia.
Nobody is questioning the importance of creating a U.S. tourism office – or a needed marketing campaign.
But it’s important to know that roughly 47 million international business and leisure travel visits were made to the U.S. in 2009 (excludes Mexico) – a decline of about 6%, and the amount they spent dropped by 15% to about US$122 billion (includes Mexico), according to data from the U.S. Office of Travel & Tourism Industries, Washington, DC. In general, overseas travelers spend about US$4,500 per trip to the U.S., according to the USTA.
Given the amount international visitors already contribute to the U.S. economy, why isn’t the cost of the program being covered from existing taxes?
It seems unfortunate that the fees are tied to visitors from VWP countries – a program initially developed to streamline and encourage international tourism to the U.S. It was chosen because the VWP system already exists and can be easily modified to capture a new fee.
The verdict is also out as to whether the U.S. has risked alienating individuals and governments from some of these countries who may opt to visit elsewhere and/or establish retaliatory fees upon U.S. international visitors to their countries. If that happens, this legislation should ultimately be viewed as a new tax on U.S. international travelers.
As for the argument that this is needed because the U.S. isn’t promoting itself internationally, this is simply misleading. Many U.S. cities and states advertise and participate at international travel shows around the world.
It has already been reported that the U.S. plans to promote its tourism to emerging markets, including Brazil, China and India. I, of course, want travelers from these and other countries to know that they are welcome in the U.S. But I’m not sure how business travelers and tourists from Australia, Japan, Spain and other countries may feel as they pay an extra fee to cover the cost of that campaign.
So is it only a matter of time before other countries will be asked to pay a U.S. entry fee for tourism?
Based in Chicago, Rob Hard is a freelance business travel writer and publisher of http://BusinessTravelDestinations.com, business travel views to international destinations, and event planning guide for About.com. He is also founder of RH Communications, Inc., a boutique marketing firm that provides creative and printing solutions. Email him at editor@rhcommunications.com or write to him at PO Box 4405, Chicago, IL USA 60605.
Feb 24
Ashley SpitzerNews economy, Keep America Meeting, meeting industry, travel promotion act
The long awaited Travel Promotion Act may face a final Senate vote this week.
Why It Matters: it will attract more visitors to our nation, create new jobs, and increase revenue for lodging businesses and local governments, all at no cost to American taxpayers. This is a bill that can help this nation’s economy during a time when job creation is a top action item for Congress.
How YOU Can Help: reach out to your Senators this week and tell them how import the Travel Promotion Act is to the meetings industry industry-and your state.
Thank them for their earlier support of the bill (the Senate passed an earlier version 79-19 in September) and urge them to again help one of the nation’s largest industry sectors during this tough economic period.
How to Contact Your Senators:
• Call the U.S. Capitol operator at 202-224-3121 and ask for your Senator’s offices, or view this list of Senators and their states.
• Explain you are resident of the Senator’s home state.
• State you are calling to register your strong support for the Travel Promotion Act (S. 1023/H.R. 1299) and urge your Senators to vote “YES” for the bill to support their state’s lodging and travel industries.
If the Senate vote is successful, the bill will then head to President Obama’s desk for his signature into law.
Support the meetings industry and call your Senators!
Feb 11
Ashley SpitzerNews economy, meeting attendance, meeting industry
2010 seems hopeful for meetings and events in Las Vegas, based on numbers released earlier this week by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Meetings in 2009, overall, suffered a 13% decline from the previous year.
December, however, is the fourth month in a row that year-over-year visitor numbers increased. Even meeting figures saw an increase!
Have your meetings picked up in 2010? Hoteliers, are you booking more business? We have seen a dramatic increase in RFPs from planners using the RFP Valet service. Let’s stay busy and meeting in 2010!
Jan 21
Ashley SpitzerNews Haiti, meeting industry, non-profit
Victims of the earthquake in Haiti are still in desperate need of our assistance. While donating to the Red Cross directly is the the best advised method, it is possible to help in other ways.
There are several ways the meetings community can donate -
Dec 08
Damion RutherfordNews air travel, Continental Airlines, travel tips
Between cold and flu season and swine flu, personal hygeine has become more important than ever. Grocery stores offer antibacterial wipes next to shopping carts, and the most popular hand out on the trade show floor has become travel-sized hand sanitizer.
The CDC’s latest healthy travel campaign urges ill travelers to stay home – but at what cost? Flying while ill to avoid significant cancellation and rescheduling fees certainly seems like a viable option…but what if you are the unlucky passenger stuck next to the passenger coughing and sneezing throughout your flight?
A recent MSNBC article outlines current airline policies on cancelling a reservation due to illness:
- JetBlue, Northwest and Delta – case-by-case basis
- American and US Airways – changes to non-refundable tickets cost $150, plus the difference between the old and new fares
- AirTran Airways – waives cancellation and rescheduling fees for any passenger with a doctor’s note documenting that they have H1N1 (but not seasonal flu or other illnesses)
- Virgin America, Continental and United – ongoing policies to waive change fees for customers who can provide documentation of illness from their doctor
- Southwest – no charge for changing or cancelling flights
How does illness impact your travel plans?
Nov 17
Damion RutherfordNews, Trade Shows AH&LA, Event Industry Networking, meeting industry, Young Meeting Professionals
The ability to meet face to face, learn, network and connect with colleagues is near and dear to the event and meetings industry.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Fall Conference, held last week at the Jacob K Javits Center in New York City, gave us the perfect chance for this!
With a tradeshow, educational events, and networking sessions scheduled over the course of several days, there was something for everyone…including young professionals.
The Under 30 Gateway, launched in July of 2008, is AH&LA’s fastest growing membership category – with over 600 members in just a little over a year! We took part in some fantastic events, specifically for Gateway members last week.
The conference was a great way to learn valuable advice from industry leaders and connect with peers from all areas of the country. Check out the Gateway’s Facebook page for photos and more information.
If your employer is a member of AH&LA, Gateway membership is free for you; or you can join for a special reduced fee.
Nov 02
Damion RutherfordMember News Awards, meeting industry
This fall has been a busy time for us at ConventionPlanit.com, between traveling to trade shows & meeting planners and working to improve the website for you!
Our member properties have also been busy – winning awards for their excellent meeting and convention services.
Congratulations to:
-Berlin: ICC Berlin has been voted Europe’s leading conference center for the sixth year in a row. Berlin was also voted as one of the top 3 best conference destinations in the world by Conference & Incentive Travel Magazine. The axica Congress and Meeting Centre at Brandenburg Gate was awarded second place in the Best Unusual Events Venue category for the same poll.
-Kuala Lumpur Convention Center: Won Gold for Best Marketing Campaign and Silver in the Best Use of Budget category in the Meetings Industry Marketing Awards (MIMA) 2009, put on by Meetings and Incentive Travel Magazine.
-Loudoun County, Virginia: has received the National Council of Destination Organizations Destiny Award for a single, targeted promotion. The award was given in recognition of the “Loudoun, Virginia: DC’s Wine Country® Washington Redskins Promotion.” The LCVA received their award September 1st during the closing ceremony at the U.S. Travel Association’s annual Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations (ESTO) in Reno/Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
Congrats for all of the hard work put in to receive these awards!
Oct 19
Damion RutherfordMember News, Places to Stay guest-friendly hotel tips, hotels, Kimpton, unique activities
If you have a soft spot for pets, like us, you’ll appreciate ABC News’ list of America’s most adorable hotel pets.
Kimpton Hotels surely wins for the most pet friendly hotels – several of their properties made this list for friendly animal mascots, including the Hotel Monaco Alexandria and The Muse.
What’s your favorite animal on the list? Have you encountered a personal favorite that didn’t make the list?
Oct 07
Damion RutherfordNews best travel practices, guest-friendly hotel tips, hotels, travel tips
With Erin Andrews peeping tom causing a stir throughout the country and raising security issues among hotels, we can’t help but think of a few ways for the hotel guest to take safety into their own hands.
Even though many of the large hotel chains are reviewing and investigating their privacy policies, we see no harm in putting a few tips into practice now.
1. Keep your room number private: Be aware that at check in, it’s standard for the clerk to write your room number down on the key card instead of saying it out loud.
2. Stop a Peeping Tom: smear Vaseline on the inside of the peephole lens or place a piece of duct tape over the peephole, as Peter Greenberg recommends, to prevent anyone from seeing inside.
3. Inspect your room: Look under the bed, in the closet, bathroom and shower upon entering your room for anything (or anyone) suspicious.
4. Deadbolt your door: Be sure to deadbolt your door after entering the room – prevents any unwanted parties from entering without your permission; whether it be a housekeeper, maintenance crew, intruder, or a guest assigned mistakenly to the same room.
What are some other safety precautions you practice when traveling? What do you think of the press this situation is receiving? In general, do you feel safe when you stay at a hotel?
Sep 29
Damion RutherfordNews cvbs, green meetings
When it comes to making sure that cities, convention centers, and hotels offer “green meeting” options, one thing is clear: Meeting professionals are in the driver’s seat.
At a recent Convene Green Alliance (CGA) Focus Forum event in Washington, DC, a panel of three convention and visitors bureau executives spoke to a group of meeting professionals about green meetings.
All three executives emphasized that green programs are buyer demand driven, and each of them encouraged planners to let destinations and properties know that they must have sustainability programs in order to win meetings.
Jason Fulvi, CDME, Executive Director of Convention Sales for VisitPittsburgh, explained,
“Planners can not only influence companies but also local governments – they are the ones who need to approve money to make things happen.”
When the recommendation for sustainability programs comes directly from the meeting planner buyer, it carries some weight.
Michael Smith, Vice President of Convention Sales for Travel Portland cited an example:
“The Portland City Council was talking to a major fraternal organization a few years ago, thanking them for bringing their business to the city, and one of the leaders spoke to them sternly about the green issue and the need for more initiatives.”
Smith noted that this got the attention of the mayor and that it helped for him to hear the importance of green initiatives from the organization.
One Focus Forum attendee, whose association requires a city’s compliance with a laundry list of green initiatives, understands the value of meeting planners and association executives in driving environmental change. She cited examples of green initiatives that cities and hotels have made in order to win her organization’s meeting business.
The Convene Green Alliance is the premiere organization dedicated to helping associations to green their organizations and the meetings and events they host. To learn more about the CGA and future educational Focus Forums, visit www.convenegreen.com.
Does your association have green meetings requirements? How do you achieve them?
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