For more than 100 years, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has been an advocate for the hotel industry. We are in the people business, committed to being good employers, good hosts, and good neighbors. Hotels both large and small serve as cornerstones of strong, vibrant communities, with a presence in every single Congressional district in America.
AHLA advocates on behalf of our industry with one unified and powerful voice to create conditions that empower our workforce and lead to greater economic growth across America. We are proud to share our industry’s story of lifelong career opportunities, which help our employees achieve the American Dream. AHLA has a deep bench of talented government affairs professionals with extensive experience on Capitol Hill and in federal and state government. They are passionate about our industry, and they are ready to work on its behalf every day.
At the same time, much of our success as an advocacy organization can be traced back to having a strong and engaged membership. As business owners, operators, and team members, you are the face of the hotel industry. Our relationships with elected officials begin with you—the constituents, voters, employers, and taxpayers whom they represent. That’s why meeting with your elected officials and telling your personal story is so important to moving our policy agenda forward.
AHLA and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) are uniting the hotel industry to show lawmakers in Washington, D.C., the strength of our industry. We encourage you to join us at the AHLA-AAHOA Legislative Action Summit (LAS) on September 12 and 13 to lobby your members of Congress on the issues that impact the hotel industry. LAS is a unique opportunity to join hundreds of colleagues from across the country to meet your congressional representatives, share your story, and educate Congress on the important issues affecting the hotel and lodging business.
Because of you, AHLA has been successful in advancing numerous policy and regulatory issues over the past year:
We have brought attention to the growing problem of online hotel booking scams, resulting in a landmark enforcement action from the Federal Trade Commission and attracting additional cosponsors to the bipartisan Stop Online Booking Scams Act.
We helped pass the Save Local Business Act in the House of Representatives, bringing us one step closer to reestablishing the definition of “joint employer” and protecting small business owners and franchises from uncertainty and confusion about whom they employ and are liable for.
Across the country, an increasing number of communities are cracking down on illegal hotels and advancing laws that level the playing field with full-time commercial short-term rental operators.
These are just a few areas where hoteliers like you have made your voices heard. Together, we are advancing legislation to support our workforce and foster the American Dream, protect our guests, and strengthen our communities. We have a tremendous story to tell—of our people, of upward mobility and growth, and of strong communities. It’s up to you to tell that story.
You’ve got a meeting with Congress. Join us and let’s push our advocacy agenda together.
About the Author
Brian Crawford is senior vice president of government affairs
for the American Hotel & Lodging Association.
