MeetingsNet: A Big Push for Tax Changes and Direct Relief for Meetings-Focused Businesses
A Big Push for Tax Changes and Direct Relief for Meetings-Focused Businesses
MeetingsNet
Rob Carey
January 21, 2022
In late January, the U.S. Travel Association sent a letter to the leaders of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives specifying actions the federal government should take to ensure that travel- and event-industry suppliers can survive 2022 as the Covid pandemic continues to wreak havoc on leisure and business travel.
In particular, the letter, signed by leaders of more than 600 industry organizations, noted that domestic business-travel spending in 2021 was 50 percent less than in 2019. This has taken a toll not only on urban hotels that cater heavily to meetings and events but also on restaurants, transportation companies, and other businesses that support meetings and events.
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And the American Bus Association is seeking $6 billion for its members, many of which provide airport shuttle services, group charters, and destination tours. Bus-industry revenue fell by 83 percent in 2020 and did not rebound well in 2021 after the delta and omicron variants of Covid prompted new rounds of customer cancellations.
