Travel Tax Relief Would Benefit Economy
CONTACT: Caleb Tiller, 703-684-0836 Ext. 138
Alexandria, VA (September 23, 2005) – The National Business Travel Association (NBTA), the association representing business travel as a member of the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), the Travel Business Roundtable (TBR) and the Travel & Tourism Coalition, has joined these and other leading travel industry groups in support of various emergency tax relief provisions and other proposals to aid in the recovery of areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The proposals, sent to federal policymakers and lawmakers, are aimed at helping the region, its citizens and its businesses rebuild through tax relief, tourism promotion, assistance for displaced workers, and transportation infrastructure.
Suzanne Fletcher, NBTA president and CEO, commented, “Business travel to the regions impacted by Hurricane Katrina is vital to the economic recovery of the Gulf Coast. Last year alone travelers spent more than $10 billion while visiting the affected region, more than 30 percent of which we estimate to be business travel expenses. Emergency tax relief concessions specific to the travel and tourism industry are essential to the recovery of the region, which ultimately impacts the economic health of the nation.”
The emergency tax relief provisions proposed for future legislative packages related to the disaster include a temporary increase of the business meal deduction to 100 percent and restoration of the spousal travel deduction for travel to the disaster zone; a tax deduction for employers’ expenses related to housing displaced employees; and a tax credit for companies located in the region that have paid employee wages and health benefits even while the businesses were not operational.
In addition to its support of the above initiatives, NBTA has worked extensively to provide corporate travel professionals with up-to-date information in the aftermath of this tragedy through its Hurricane Resource Page, located at www.nbta.org/hurricane. Since Katrina tore through the Gulf Coast region, this page has served as a resource for travel managers by providing a comprehensive source of information on airport cancellations, hotel and transportation availability, convention and visitor’s bureau updates, and other travel-related updates and resources. As Hurricane Rita gains strength in the Gulf of Mexico, NBTA is helping travel managers stay abreast of the latest developments by updating its Hurricane Resource Page to include vital information related to Rita.
NBTA has also donated $12,500 to the American Red Cross, a contribution of $5 on behalf of each of NBTA’s 2,500 corporate and government travel managers and travel service provider members, and the organization has pledged to double employee donations to approved relief efforts with a dollar-for-dollar matching donation to the American Red Cross.
“As the leading source for critical information and education for the corporate travel industry, NBTA provides members with information to prepare for such disasters and to address the travel-related challenges they present,” added Fletcher. “As the representative of corporate travel professionals, NBTA has stepped forward to provide financial support for relief and recovery efforts and to voice its members’ support of the proposals made by TIA and TBR.”
The National Business Travel Association is the source for critical information on the business travel industry. For more than 35 years, NBTA has dedicated itself to the professional development of its members through advocacy, education and training, and networking opportunities. NBTA represents over 2,500 corporate and government travel managers and travel service providers, who collectively manage and direct more than $170 billion of expenditures within the business travel industry. For more on NBTA, visit www.nbta.org.
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