Editor’s note: This article first published in the June 2023 State of the Industry Special Edition of Beyond the Meeting Room, ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond the four walls of a meeting room.
Travel is a key driver to a healthy U.S. economy, according to a 2022 economic impact data report by the U.S. Travel Association, but shere are a variety of obstacles to sustaining and increasing those numbers, which is where the importance of an advocacy organizations comes in.
“Our mission is to grow travel in the United States, and in doing that, it’s really critical that we establish travel as essential,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs and Policy at the U.S. Travel Association. “Everyone knows what happened during the pandemic and what it’s like when travel stops. We’re really focused on the economic importance and the impact that travel has on the broader economy and on communities across the country.”
Along with other advocacy groups, such as the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), efforts are ongoing to ease travel and other obstacles to support a business travel industry that generated $255 billion in 2022.