Travel Leaders and U.S. Department of Commerce Meet to Foster Industry’s Recovery
March 17, 2022
The U.S. Travel Association led a delegation of 11 travel industry leaders to Washington, D.C., March 8 for a roundtable discussion with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves on ways to bolster the industry’s recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The discussion centered on promoting safe business and professional travel and identifying opportunities to help all aspects of the travel and tourism sector, including professional meeting and events, fully and evenly recover.
At the meeting, Graves voiced his support for the industry, saying the U.S. Department of Commerce will bring “all tools to the table” to help overcome obstacles that remain to the normal resumption of business travel, both domestically and from abroad.
Discussion topics ranged from the reentry of urban office workers and its correlation to the restart of business travel to the distinctions of professionally produced meetings and events, as well as opportunities to attract global meetings, conventions and exhibitions to the U.S.
Roger Dow, president and CEO of U.S. Travel, applauded its federal partners for their focus on rebuilding business and professional travel and their commitment to restoring this sector of the U.S. economy and workforce.
“The travel industry is seizing every opportunity extended to quickly recover—particularly as business travel, conferences and conventions, and trade events nationwide continue to lag,” Dow said. “Special thanks go to Deputy Secretary Graves for meeting with our industry today and offering the agency’s support as well as to Secretary Gina Raimondo for her leadership on rebuilding America’s travel economy.”
The most recent statistics show that total business travel in 2021 was just 47% of 2019 levels, and group meetings and events were 36% of 2019 levels. Based on the latest U.S Travel forecast, business travel recovery is not expected until 2024.
Following the roundtable, Dow was optimistic that government and industry can work hand in hand to more quickly restore the travel sector.
“A complete recovery of the U.S. economy is directly related to the full and even recovery of America’s travel industry,” he said, encouraging the administration and government officials to send consistent and clear messages to the American public and the world that it is safe to travel again, particularly for vaccinated individuals.
Following are some of the policies that U.S. Travel and its Meetings Mean Business Coalition recommends.
- The creation of temporary tax incentives to encourage business travel and spending on entertainment services
- The creation of a partnership with U.S. destinations and venues to help secure high-value international meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions
- The repeal of the pre-departure testing requirement for all fully vaccinated inbound international arrivals
- Additional H-2B, J-1 and other temporary work visas available to meet seasonal workforce needs, among others
- Restoring visa services and taking steps to modernize the visa process—including waiving interviews for low-risk renewals, allowing videoconferencing and/or offering group visa processing.
Attendees at the U.S. Department of Commerce roundtable were:
- Don Graves, deputy secretary of commerce
- Roger Dow, president and CEO, U.S. Travel Association
- Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president of public affairs and policy, U.S. Travel Association
- Julie Coker, president and CEO, San Diego Tourism Authority
- Christine Duffy, president, Carnival Cruise Line; national chair, U.S. Travel Association
- Elliott Ferguson, president and CEO, Destination DC
- Susan Fox, senior vice president, government relations, The Walt Disney Company
- Walt Leger, general counsel and incoming president and CEO, New Orleans & Company
- Meghan Ludtke, managing director, regulatory affairs, American Airlines
- Michael Massari, chief sales officer, Caesars Entertainment; co-chair, Meetings Mean Business Coalition
- Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants
- Martha Sheridan, president and CEO, Greater Boston CVB; co-chair, Meetings Mean Business Coalition
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Partner Voices
HERE, hosting responsible meetings and caring for our communities are top priorities. Through its 'Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet' philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make an impact in the lives of employees, guests, and the communities in which it operates.
Water Stewardship Efforts
MGM Resorts understands the importance of using water efficiently, especially in the desert destination of Las Vegas. Conserving water has always been part of the mission, but MGM Resorts has expanded its ambition into water stewardship.
In 2022, MGM Resorts President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle signed the CEO Water Mandate—a UN Global Compact initiative mobilizing business leaders to advance water stewardship. MGM Resorts International was the first gaming company to take this important step.
MGM Resorts replaced 200,000 square feet of real grass with drought-tolerant landscaping in Las Vegas.
MGM Resorts pledges to reduce water withdrawal intensity by 33% by 2025 and by 35% by 2030.
From 2007-2021, use of more than 5.6 billion gallons of water was avoided because of conservation efforts.
Caring for One Another
MGM Resorts’ Food Donations Program collects and preserves unserved food from conventions held at MGM Resorts properties, then safely donates to food insecure people in the community. Since the program’s launch in 2016, more than 3.7 million meals toward a 2025 goal of 5 million meals have been donated into the community. Donations include:
Unserved perishable prepared foods from events
Perishable unprepared food from MGM Resorts’ kitchens
Nonperishable food items from minibars and warehouses
The collaboration with Southern Nevada’s primary food bank, Three Square, has developed the infrastructure needed to safely collect, transport, and store food from MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas, reducing food waste while serving the community.
Fostering Diversity and Inclusion
To MGM Resorts, a diverse and talented workforce is essential to success. By cultivating innovative strategies that consider multiple perspectives and viewpoints, the company creates an inclusive workplace culture that benefits its employees and community. MGM Resorts takes pride in being a welcoming home for veterans, individuals with disabilities, people from diverse backgrounds, LGBTQ+ community members, and more. This commitment to inclusion is reflected in the company's recruitment and hiring practices and its social responsibility initiatives. From the workplace to the community, MGM Resorts' commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion remains unwavering, and its efforts continue to create a more equitable and sustainable world for all.
MGM Resorts understands its responsibility to contribute to the social and economic progress of the communities in which it operates. HERE, we embrace humanity.
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