WASHINGTON—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) announced it has welcomed the Kentucky Travel Industry Association (KTIA) as a new member.
KTIA serves the interests of Kentucky’s travel industry through four service cornerstones: advocacy, education, information, and business development. KTIA’s approximately 900 organization and individual members include attractions, convention and visitor bureaus, hotels, restaurants, state government agencies, universities, media, and industry suppliers.
KTIA was founded in 1980 as the Kentucky Tourism and Hospitality Federation and later became the Kentucky Tourism Council. In 2011 the organization re-branded to become the Kentucky Travel Industry Association (KTIA) to reflect the diversity of the industry and its membership. As of 2019, Kentucky had 774 hotels with more than 63,000 rooms.
“During the pandemic, we witnessed firsthand AHLA’s expertise, influence, and support. Our goal became to join as soon as it became practical to do so, and we are thrilled that we are now able to do that,” said KTIA President and CEO Hank Phillips. “We look forward to leveraging AHLA’s robust advocacy, member services, and communication capabilities on behalf of Kentucky’s hoteliers.”
“We are proud to be able to call the Kentucky Travel Industry Association an AHLA member,” said AHLA President and CEO Chip Rogers. “Hoteliers are strongest when we stand together, and we are excited to get to work ensuring hospitality professionals in Kentucky have a powerful voice and seat at the table regarding the most important issues and debates impacting our industry.”
KTIA joins an AHLA roster of more than 30,000 members that includes 80 percent of all franchised hotels and the 10 largest hotel companies in the United States, as well as hospitality associations, industry service providers and suppliers, universities, and hospitality students. AHLA now counts 54 lodging associations as members, including 47 state associations, and organizations representing Washington, D.C., New York City, St. Louis, Memphis, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Puerto Rico.
