Advocacy News
The Latest News on Tourism Advocacy
March 2024
DATE/TITLE
3/19/2024 Funding Passed for Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism
The passage of the bill providing funding for the Assistant Secretary of Travel & Tourism is big news for our industry. Read the article…
January 2023
DATE/TITLE
1/9/2023 STS was able to get a number of its policy priorities over the finish line in the final days of the 117th Congress. Read the round-up of tourism legislative successes. READ THE 117th Congress Round-UP
March 2022
DATE | TITLE
3/15/2022 President Biden signed into law a $1.5 trillion omnibus appropriations bill that fully funds Federal Government projects and activities through September 30, 2022. READ HOW IT BREAKS DOWN
Archived Advocacy Articles
September 2020
DATE | TITLE
9/17/2020 Luzerne County offering virus relief funding to tourist attractions, on The Dallas Post.com READ THE ARTICLE
August 2020
DATE | TITLE
8/13/2020 Travel and Tourism getting the economy rolling again, on White County News.net READ THE ARTICLE
8/8/2020 Niagara Falls hopes to salvage part of COVID-crunched tourist season, on WGRZ READ THE ARTICLE
July 2020
DATE | TITLE
7/27/2020 Passage of Great American Outdoors Act a “big win” for region, in the Winchester Star READ THE ARTICLE
7/2/2020 STS Advocacy Update
7/2/2020 Tourism Recovery Funding
7/2/2020 How lawmakers plan to spend Mississippi’s $1.25 billion in coronavirus aid READ THE ARTICLE
June 2020
DATE | TITLE
6/25/2020 STS Advocacy Update READ THE LETTER
6/22/2020 Tourism Centers Say They Were Left Out of Financial Relief Funding from Congress READ THE ARTICLE
6/14/2020 Protecting America’s National Treasures, in Times Record READ THE ARTICLE
6/12/2020 Tourism Group Asks Janet Mills for $800M in Federal Coronavirus Funds, in Bangor Daily News READ THE ARTICLE
6/12/2020 Committee Leaders Unveil the INVEST in America Act, a Transformational Surface Transportation Bill to Bring Nation’s Infrastructure into a New Era READ THE PRESS RELEASE
6/10/2020 Restoring Our National Parks READ THE PRESS RELEASE
6/7/2020 Tourism will be key to driving economic recovery, Y’all Politics READ THE ARTICLE
6/3/2020 An investment in recovery, The State Journal (Frankfort, KY) READ THE ARTICLE
6/2/2020 Hamilton County To Assist With Tourism Marketing After Huge Losses Due to COVID-19, Cincinnati Public Radio READ THE ARTICLE
May 2020
DATE | TITLE
5/29/2020 Tourism is a wise investment in recovery, In The Winchester Sun READ THE ARTICLE
5/29/2020 Targeted aid to tourism will help restart local and state economies, In Lexington Herald Leader READ THE ARTICLE
5/28/2020 Katrina was disastrous for restaurants. The pandemic will be apocalyptic. by Donald Link READ THE ARTICLE
5/26/2020 Virginia Beach ad campaign to attract summer tourists. READ THE ARTICLE
5/19/2020 County approves $2 million to bring tourists back because of Coronavirus impacts, St. Augustine Record READ THE ARTICLE
5/19/2020 City to loan $150,000 to buoy Convention and Visitors Bureau, Grand Forks Herald READ THE ARTICLE
5/11/2020 Legislature Should Bow to Reality and Help Promote In-State Tourism, In The Advocate READ THE ARTICLE
5/1/2020 Republican Senator: Yes, Congress should send money to state and local governments. by Bill Cassidy on The Washington Post READ MORE
April 2020
DATE | TITLE
4/27/2020 The Small Business Relief Program is Still Broken by Aaron Klein on Politico READ MORE
4/25/2020 Florida’s No-Rules Vibe Gets a Coronavirus Reality Check by Craig Pittman on Politico READ MORE
4/16/2020 National Park Service Announces $14 Million in Grants to Preserve African American Civil Rights READ MORE
March 2020
DATE | TITLE
3/23/2020 Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association Legislative Scorecard and Full Report
3/23/2020 Georgia Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus Legislative Lowdown
3/18/2020 Kentucky Travel Industry Association Legislative Alert READ
3/13/2020 Kentucky General Assembly Weekly Report Week 10 March 9 - 12 (Days 43 - 46)
3/10/2020 US Travel Coronavirus Update
3/10/2020 GACVB Legislative Lowdown
3/8/2020 Visit Florida Funded 2020 - 2021 READ ARTICLE by A.G. Gancarski
3/7/2020 Kentucky General Assembly Weekly Report Week 9 March 2 - 6 (Days 38 - 42)
3/7/2020 Still the happiest place on earth - even as coronavirus hits Florida READ ARTICLE by Brittany Shammas
3/7/2020 National Park Visitation Tops 327 Million in 2019 READ ARTICLE
3/6/2020 Capitol Concierge This Week in Legislative Session
3/3/2020 Florida Politics | Editorial: Mr. Speaker, COVID-19 should end the war on VISIT FLORIDA READ ARTICLE by Peter Schorsch
3/3/2020 Atlanta International Airport Update re: Coronavirus COVID-19 READ UPDATE
3/3/2020 Updates on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) CORONAVIRUS UPDATE PAGE
February 2020
DATE | TITLE
2/28/2020 KTIA Provides Conditional Support to Restaurant Tax Bill (HB470) READ UPDATE
2/28/2020 Kentucky General Assembly Weekly Report, Week 8 February 24 - 28 (Days 33-37)
2/25/2020 Tampa Bay Times: Florida Considers Two Bills to Prevent Local Control Over Airbnb READ ARTICLE by Jim Turner
2/24/2020 WCTV: Leon County (FL) Considers DeFunding Council on Culture & Arts, Moving Operations In-House
READ ARTICLE by MonicaCasey
2/24/2020 New Orleans Council Members Call for Study to Direct Tourism Spending, READ ARTICLE by Jeff Adelson
2/21/2020 GACVB Legislative Lowdown
2/21/2020 Kentucky General Assembly Weekly Report, Week 7 February 18 - 21 (Days 29-32)
2/21/2020 Capitol Concierge: This Week in Legislative Session
2/14/2020 Kentucky General Assembly Weekly Report, Week 6 February 10 - 14 (Days 24-28)
2/14/2020 Capitol Concierge: This Week in Legislative Session
2/14/2020 GACVB Legislative Lowdown
2/11/2020 Gov. Hutchinson tells tourism group goals met with Buffalo River
READ ARTICLE by Steve Brawner
2/7/2020 Kentucky General Assembly Weekly Report, Week 5 February 3 - 7 (Days 19-23)
2/7/2020 Florida Legislative Update/Capitol Concierge with Samantha Padgett, General Counsel for FRLA WATCH THE VIDEO
2/4/2020 Amtrak to Span the Coast after Mobile votes to allow rail service READ THE ARTICLE by Lindsay Knowles
January 2020
DATE | TITLE
1/31/2020 GACVB Legislative Lowdown
1/31/2020 Kentucky General Assembly Weekly Report, Week 4 January 27 - 31 (Days 14-18)
1/31/2020 Mobile (Alabama) City Council Delays Vote to Commit Funding for Gulf Coast Rail This is a big deal for several states and communities READ THE ARTICLE
1/30/2020 This week, House Democrats and Republicans released their respective principles for long-term infrastructure reforms.
READ THE ARTICLE
1/29/2020 Five Ways to Shift Your Advocacy Focus to the State and Local Level
READ THE ARTICLE by Jewelyn Cosgrove
1/24/20 Kentucky General Assembly Weekly Report, Week 3 January 21 - 24 (Days 10-13)
1/23/20 Louisiana Travel Association - Legislative Alert
1/20/20 Funding Cuts Led to CVB Partnership READ THE ARTICLE
1/16/20 Kentucky General Assembly Weekly Report, Week 2 January 13 - 16, 2020 (Days 5-9)
1/13/20 Sante Fe Alive and well In age of Airbnb READ THE ARTICLE
1/10/20 Kentucky General Assembly Weekly Report, Week 1 January 7 - 10, 2020 (Days 1-4)
December 2019
DATE | TITLE
12/17/19 Florida Senate President Defends Need for State Tourism Marketing READ THE ARTICLE
12/13/19 Bethlehem (Pennsylvania) Planning Commission Considers Changes to Short-Term Lodging READ THE ARTICLE
12/13/19 Escambia County (Florida) to Consider Raising Hotel Bed Tax Next Year READ THE ARTICLE
12/2/19 Study Examines Impact, Growth of the Shoals Music Industry - a great example of how research informs and strengthens tourism priorties with local officials
READ THE ARTICLE By Will Robinson-Smith on December 1, 2029
November 2019
DATE | TITLE
11/6/19 Smart Advocacy Includes Engaging the Public
READ THE ARTICLE By Danielle Ledbetter on November 6, 2019
11/5/2019 Airbnb Agrees to Provide Host Records to Hawaii’s Department of Taxation
READ THE ARTICLE By Audrey McAvoy and The Associated Press on November 5, 2019
11/5/2019 Lee County Commissioner's approve $12.5 million for tourism advertising
READ THE ARTICLE By Allyssa Dickert on November 5, 2019
11/1/19 Mexico’s Baja Sur resorts to start charging tourist tax READ THE ARTICLE
October 2019
DATE | TITLE
10/29/19 Airbnb doesn’t have to pay tourism tax in Florida, judge says. That’s the host’s job.
READ THE ARTICLE By Ryan Callihan on October 29, 2019
10/27/19 Washington County, Maryland working to amend zone law to address short-term rentals
READ THE ARTICLE By Julie E. Greene jgreene@herald-mail.com
10/23/19 Orange County, Florida increases bed tax support for Visit Orlando, sports marketing, and arts.
READ THE ARTICLE By Scott Powers on October 23, 2019
10/15/19 Interior Department Supported $315 Billion in Economic Activity and 1.8 Million Jobs in FY 2018. READ THE ARTICLE
10/9/19 The Daytona Beach News Journal editorial: Quit playing politics with Visit Florida. READ THE ARTICLE