NTA’s 2010 Priority Advocacy Issues
January 21, 2010
Contact:
Madeline Vied FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
madeline.vied@ntastaff.com
859.226.4275
800.682.8886
January 21, 2010
NTA’s 2010 Priority Advocacy Issues Include Focus on Entry/Exit Procedures, Travel Restrictions to Cuba
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Entry/exit procedures, opening Cuba for travel and funding for destination marketing organizations and national parks are among NTA’s eight priority advocacy issues for 2010. Although the association’s government relations team will monitor all legislative activity, these eight issues will receive top attention.
"Based on legislation that can either impede or help our members’ business interests, the NTA Board determines these priority issues to set the focus of the association’s government advocacy work for the coming year," said NTA President Lisa Simon, CTP.
The eight issues adopted by the NTA Board are:
- Hotel occupancy tax issues
- U.S. entry and exit procedures, visa issuance and the expansion of the Visa Waiver Program
- Marketing grants for destination marketing organizations and nonprofit organizations
- Airline policies that impact sellers of travel
- Lifting of U.S. travel restrictions to Cuba
- Effective implementation of the Travel Promotion Act and the creation of a high-level travel/tourism presence
- National Parks and public lands access/marketing funds
- Passage of highway and Federal Aviation Administration authorization bills
These issues will be discussed with elected officials during the 2010 Grassroots Symposium, to be held Feb. 8-10, 2010, in Washington, DC. Featured remarks of the Symposium are by Congressman Bill Delahunt, (D-Mass), who is chief House sponsor of the Travel Promotion Act and the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act.
The National Tour Association was established in 1951 as a unified voice to advocate a friendly regulatory environment in which the newly formed packaged travel industry could operate. Today, NTA’s government relations activities include monitoring security issues, as well as state and federal legislation and regulatory issues affecting the travel and tourism industry. NTA maintains full-time representation in Washington, D.C., to serve as the association’s voice on Capitol Hill to create a more positive travel experience for travelers around the globe. Additionally, NTA empowers its members to be advocates for the association on the local level, as well as to provide support for NTA’s positions on national priority issues through its Grassroots Action Network. For more information on NTA’s government relations activities, please visit NTAonline.com.
– 30 –