American hotel industry congratulates President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris

Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, issued the following statement on the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. 
 
“On behalf of the hotel industry, we congratulate President Biden and Vice President Harris on their inauguration. Today’s peaceful transfer of power marks a new chapter as our country moves forward together. Over the last year, our nation, and the world, has faced incredible difficulties, but we are resilient, and working together we can overcome these historic challenges. 
 
“As an industry, we continue to face historically low occupancy rates, massive job loss, and record hotel closures. Our industry needs help to retain and rehire our associates, revive our local communities, and restart our economy. While the vaccine rollout has begun, it will likely take months to widely distribute, and travel is not expected to return to 2019 levels until 2023. We urge Congress and the new Administration to come together on a longer-term stimulus package that will ensure our industry survives so that the men and women who are the backbone and heart of hospitality can get back to work and unleash the power of the American dream.
 
Beyond COVID relief and economic recovery, hoteliers look forward to working with President Biden and his Administration on other key priorities, including comprehensive immigration reform, tax reform, and infrastructure investment. AHLA will continue advancing the needs of hotel employees and our small business operators during this critical time for our industry and we stand ready to support the new Congress and Administration.”