ASTA makes advocacy gains on Legislative Day: Travel Weekly

ASTA’s lobbying efforts last week at its annual congressional fly-in, Legislative Day, are already bearing fruit in Washington.

During the event, 235 attendees from 47 states participated in 197 meeting with legislators. Already, 11 cosponsors have been added to the bills ASTA prioritized during those meetings, the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) Reinstatement Act and the Visit America Act.

“As we have said time and time again, in advocacy there is nothing more impactful than constituents coming to D.C. to meet with their legislators face to face,” Eben Peck, ASTA’s executive vice president for advocacy, said in a statement. “Those who attended Legislative Day were critical to helping us move the ball down the field toward our advocacy goals.”

The Employee Retention Tax Credit Reinstatement Act would, as its name suggests, reinstate the ERTC for the fourth quarter of 2021, a tax credit for employers of up to $7,000 per employee, per quarter. It was limited to businesses whose revenue has been reduced by at least 20% compared to 2019. While it was initially set to run through the end of 2021, when the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed last year, the ERTC actually expired on Sept. 30, 2021.

The Visit America Act would require the Department of Commerce to develop a 10-year travel and tourism strategy to help bolster international visitor numbers, as well as assist the travel industry in its recovery from Covid-19.

Peck encouraged advisors to save the date of Legislative Day 2023, which will be held June 20-21.

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