by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:50 AM ET, Tue July 28, 2020
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) announced its support for a new coronavirus relief package that includes several hotel industry priorities.
As part of the stimulus package, the United States Senate proposed additional funds for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and limited liability protection for businesses as they reopen.
The AHLA is urging Congress to move quickly to pass the legislation which will support the hotel industry and its employees during the ongoing viral pandemic.
Members of the association continue to advocate for the top industry priorities, including a targeted extension of the PPP, establishing a Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities (CMBS) market relief fund, allowing the hotel industry access to the Main Street Lending Facility established under the CARES Act and more.
"Hotels and hotel employees have been severely impacted by the pandemic," AHLA president Chip Rogers said. "We urgently need help just so hotels can remain solvent in order to retain and rehire our employees. We applaud lawmakers who have recognized this fact while crafting this critical legislation."
"We urge Congress to move swiftly to pass additional support directed at the industries and employees who have been most negatively impacted by this crisis," Rogers continued.
Since February, the leisure and hospitality sector has lost 4.8 million jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Industry sources claim hotels are still staffed at less than half their pre-pandemic levels.
To help reassure travelers during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the AHLA recently released the "Safe Stay Guest Checklist" to standardize the safety experience nationwide.
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