AH&LA summit promotes key legislative issues

Washington -- Travel promotion, frivolous lawsuits and immigration reform are the most important issues hoteliers presented to legislators at the American Hotel & Lodging Assn.'s Legislative Action Summit in the nation's capital. The

AH&LA supports:

* public and private efforts to promote travel to and within the United States;

* a responsible and common-sense approach to compliance with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; and

* common-sense reform to the immigration laws that reflect national security needs and economic demands.

Jack Connors, executive v.p. for public policy for the AH&LA, said 30 percent of the summit's attendees were first-timers. Connors said the attendance increase from last year (to almost 250 from more than 200) is partly because this year is a presidential-election year and more people are interested in politics.

"We promoted [the LAS] as much as we could without being obnoxious," he said.

William Ott, g.m. of the Radcliff (Ky.) Inn, said it was his third or fourth year attending LAS.

"Sometimes we're more effective than others," Ott said. "We may not have instant success because we can't contact everybody. If we don't continue to keep coming here and tell the legislators the issues they need to work on, it would be a big mistake."

"A lot of people are afraid to come talk to their legislators," said Joe McInerney, president and c.e.o. of the AH&LA. "It's some psychological thing. We're alleviating those fears. We have to keep bringing ideas up in front of the legislators because they will eventually become their ideas."

McInerney said he hopes members attending the LAS believe it's important that they're seeing how the government works and are getting their point across to legislators.

"It's our obligation," he said. "We can't complain about the government if we don't tell legislators how we feel." McInerney said the effectiveness of the LAS is measured by legislators' awareness of what's important to the lodging industry.

Next year's LAS might be held any time from March through May because many state associations meet in February and can't come to Washington then.

Travel promotion

The final version of the fiscal year 2004 Omnibus Appropriations bill rescinded $40 million of the $50 million approved to promote foreign travel to the United States. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) said she's a believer of promotion, but the problem is that the federal budget is so tight because of high deficits.

"Yours is one of many programs that are threatened by large deficits," Landrieu told attendees.

Now, because of more government cuts, only $5 million is left to spend, which will be done in the United Kingdom. McInerney said he isn't happy about that.

"What are you going to do with $5 million in one country?" he said. "We need to be spending more in Europe."

Groups such as the AH&LA and the Travel Business Roundtable are talking to legislators in an attempt to gain back the funding. McInerney said U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska will spearhead the effort to get the money back.

"In this deficit-driven budget, this is uphill, hand-to-hand combat," Connors said.

Ott said the most important issue is travel promotion because hotel properties in the United States need to attract more international travelers.

"And we won't do that without advertising," he said.

Chuck Merin, managing director of BKSH & Associates, a legislative coalition firm, said America has a service economy.

"Travel-and-tourism is one of the few industries that are in all congressional districts and in all 50 states," Merin said.

ADA lawsuits

Renee Wohlenhaus, deputy chief of the disability rights section, civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice, said the department is concerned about frivolous ADA lawsuits that are being slapped on hoteliers throughout the country for not complying exactly with the law.

"We can't let people abuse the law," Wohlenhaus told attendees. "But not all of these lawsuits are frivolous. The Justice Department continues to closely monitor these lawsuits. The hotel industry is second to prisons with the number of ADA complaints. Last year, we filed no lawsuits against the hotel industry. You have gone a long way in meeting ADA requirements."

"We're not lobbying for a loophole in the ADA," Connors said. "We want to do the right things. If a ramp is 2.5-feet high and it's supposed to be 3-feet high, give us a chance to fix it. This is a common-sense approach to enforcing a civil rights law. We need time to cure."

"You're in the business of accommodating people and making people happy," Merin told attendees. "You're not going to create barriers for people. Tell that to the legislators regarding the ADA issue."

Wohlenhaus said some common ADA complaints were about:

* barriers such as ramps, a lack of grab bars, and narrow bath and shower stalls;

* service-animal issues in which potential guests had problems making reservations; and

* provision of telecommunication devices for the hearing impaired.

Wohlenhaus said the government is trying to align state codes with federal ADA regulations.

"Usually, the state codes get you 99-percent certified," she said. "Several states, such as Texas and Florida, are in the process of getting certified [by the federal government]."

Immigration

U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) said immigration is second to terrorism as the greatest concern to Americans.

"We have anywhere from 8 [million] to 13 million people in the United States illegally," Chambliss said. "Just the fact we don't know if it's 8 [million] or 13 million is a problem. We need to find out who these peoples are. We need to secure borders. We need to commit resources to it. It won't be a cheap exercise.

"We have to emphasize that these folks can't displace American workers. These people don't need to step in front of anybody. We can't give them a preferred status. That's not right. That's the way you solve the problem--by getting companies to help. Everyone will be treated equally. It's a matter of knowing who they are. We need to do a better job of scrutinizing the people that come here. We're developing a system that can determine that people are who they say they are instantaneously."

Landrieu said the government needs to detail how illegal immigrants can get citizenship, but also recognized the government can't provide general amnesty for all, citing the need for a compromise.

jwalsh@advanstar.com

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