The U.S. Travel Association called for additional relief and corrections to some of the provisions of the CARES Act in an effort to protect the15.8 million Americans whose livelihoods depend on travel against the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The trade group called on Congress to add $600 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program and expand eligibility to small businesses that were previously left out. It also is pushing to ensure loan forgiveness can cover both payroll and other operating expenses during the shutdown.
“The CARES Act was an ambitious step, but now the urgent problem is that assistance is simply not getting where it needs to go,” said U.S. Travel Association president and CEO Roger Dow. “Major adjustments and more aid are needed immediately to support small businesses, including local non-profits that are essential engines of the travel economy that employs one in 10 Americans.”
Weekly travel spending in the U.S. has fallen 85 percent from the same point a year ago, according to figures prepared for U.S. Travel by the analytics firm Tourism Economics. U.S. Travel estimates that the country will lose 5.9 million travel-related jobs by the end of April, more than a third of the travel-supported workforce.
“Congress must move swiftly to correct and supplement the CARES Act with additional rounds of aid,” Dow said. “Travel-related small businesses will be vital leaders of an economic recovery, but first they need to survive until the point when travel demand returns. In order to make it, these businesses need to be able to access the resources that will enable them to keep the lights on and retain their employees.”
