Skift Take
The U.S. Travel Association's requested federal aid package would deliver much-needed assistance across a spectrum of travel businesses. But if certain pockets of travel-related employment continue to rise, Washington's appetite to help the industry may shrink.
The coronavirus-hit U.S. travel industry on Friday asked Congress for $10 billion in federal grants to promote safe practices, new liability protections and tax credits for travellers and the industry.
The U.S. Travel Association, which represents hotels, car rental companies, American Express , airports and tourism agencies, also wants $13 billion for U.S. airports and a refundable tax credit of up to 50% of travel expenses through the end of 2022 of up to $3,000 per family.
“As the virus continues to wreak havoc on society, the situation in the travel industry is only getting worse. The industry is now on track to shrink by $1.2 trillion by the end of the year,” the group’s policy chief, Tori Emerson Barnes, told Congress.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
This article was from Reuters and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].
Ask Skift Is the AI Chatbot for the Travel Industry
Go deeper into the business of travel with Skift’s new AI chatbot.
Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch
Tags: coronavirus, coronavirus recovery, u.s. travel association
Photo credit: The U.S. Travel Association Friday lobbied Congress for $23 billion in federal aid to the industry and tax credits to spur Americans to once again travel. FEMA/Bill Koplitz / Wikimedia
