AHLA Letter in Support of Brand USA – Sent to Members of Congress & Signed by Over 80 AHLA Members

The Honorable Paul Ryan
Speaker   
U.S. House of Representatives  
Washington, D.C. 20515      

The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi 
Democratic Leader 
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515 

The Honorable Chuck Schumer
Democratic Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

CC: Members of Congress
Dear Speaker Ryan, Leader McConnell, Leader Pelosi, and Leader Schumer:
When the Senate and House of Representatives voted to create Brand USA in 2010, we in the hotel industry – and broader travel and tourism community – believed it would become a valuable new tool in attracting foreign visitors to the United States. Yet, we could never have imagined how effective Brand USA would be. By creating and implementing a state-of-the-art marketing platform, Brand USA has become a force in the global travel marketplace, driving millions of new tourists to the United States.
Therefore, we were disappointed and alarmed to see that the President’s budget proposed an elimination of Brand USA, and we ask Congress to reject this plan.
Travel and tourism is a critical driver of the U.S. economy, generating $2.3 trillion in economic output and responsible for one in nine American jobs. Brand USA, a public-private partnership, has been a catalyst responsible for driving more than 4.3 million incremental international visitors to the U.S. over the past 4 years and supporting tens of thousands of American jobs – jobs that can only be filled here in the United States.
Brand USA’s activities have also resulted in nearly $30 billion in total economic impact, and contributed nearly $4 billion in federal, state and local taxes. Federal funding is provided not through taxpayer dollars but through fees on tourist visas, and the results show that the program pays for itself many times over.
Brand USA has had long-lasting and overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress, and we hope that this support will continue. We need Brand USA’s strong marketing message to remind visitors that the U.S. is open for business in order to compete with the rest of the world and continue growing our economy and creating much needed jobs.
We look forward to actively engaging with you to keep Brand USA intact and performing its vital function for the U.S. economy.
Sincerely,
American Hotel & Lodging Association
Accor Hotels (Toronto)
Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance
Alaska Hotel & Lodging Association
Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association
Arkansas Hospitality Association
B.F. Saul Company Hospitality Group (MD)
Benchmark Hospitality International (TX)
Best Western Hotels & Resorts (AZ)
California Hotel & Lodging Association
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group (MN)
Chesapeake Lodging Trust (MD)
Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association
Concord Hospitality Enterprises (NC)
Connecticut Lodging Association
Dalwadi Hospitality Management, LLC (TX)
Delaware Hotel & Lodging Association
Delaware North (NY)
First Hospitality Group, Inc. (IL)
Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association
Georgia Hotel & Lodging Association
HEI Hotels & Resorts (CT)
Highgate Hotels (NY)
Hilton (VA)
Host Hotels & Resorts (MD)
Hotel Association of New York City
Hotel Association of Washington DC
Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association
Indiana Restaurant & Lodging Association
InterContinental Hotels Group (GA)
Las Vegas Sands Corporation (NV)
LaSalle Hotel Properties (MD)
Lodgeworks (KS)
Loews Hotels (NY)
Louisiana Hotel & Lodging Association
Maine Innkeepers Association
Marcus Hotels & Resorts (WI)
Marriott International (MD)
Maryland Hotel & Lodging Association
Massachusetts Lodging Association
Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association
Minnesota Lodging Association
Montana Lodging & Hospitality Association
Nebraska Hotel & Lodging Association
New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association
New Jersey Hotel & Lodging Association
New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association
North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association
Northcott Hospitality and AmericInn (MN)
Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association
Oklahoma Hotel & Lodging Association
Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association
Outrigger Enterprises Group (HI)
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (MD)
Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association
PSAV (IL)
Real Hospitality Group (MD)
Rhode Island Hospitality Association
RLJ Lodging Trust (MD)
Sabre Hospitality Solutions (TX)
Sage Hospitality (CO)
Saunders Hotel Group (MA)
Sebasco Harbor Resort (ME)
Smith Travel Research (TN)
South Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association
Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association
Texas Hotel & Lodging Association
The Chartres Lodging Group, LLC (CA)
The Hotel Group (WA)
TPI Hospitality (TN)
TradeWinds Island Resorts (FL)
Utah Hotel & Lodging Association
Vermont Chamber of Commerce
Virginia Restaurant, Lodging, & Travel Association
Washington Lodging Association
Waterford Hotel Group, Inc. (CT)
Watermark Capital Partners (IL)
West Virginia Hospitality & Travel Association
Wilson Hotel Management, LLC (TN)
Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association
Wyndham Worldwide (NJ)
Wyoming Lodging & Restaurant Association