WASHINGTON – October 18, 2021 – American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) President and CEO Chip Rogers released the below statement following a White House announcement that it will lift travel restrictions for foreign visitors who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 beginning Nov. 8.
“Hotels have kept travelers and employees safe as a result of our industry’s rigorous health and safety protocols, and we continue to encourage our workforce, guests and all Americans to get vaccinated. We applaud President Biden’s move to reopen America’s doors to international, fully vaccinated visitors from around the globe. It’s a step in the right direction, however, our industry remains at a pivotal point,” Rogers said.
“The pandemic wiped out 10 years of job growth in the hotel industry, and unless Congress passes commonsense relief for hotel employees like the Save Hotel Jobs Act, COVID-related travel reductions will continue to threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of hotel workers. For over a year, hotel employees and small business owners across the nation have been asking Congress for direct pandemic relief. Now is the time for Congress to listen to those calls and pass the Save Hotel Jobs Act,” Rogers continued.
