Washington, D.C. – February 13, 2015 – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the sole national association representing all segments of the 1.8 million-employee lodging industry, today praised the latest new initiative announced by President Barack Obama designed to improve customer service at our nation’s airports in a renewed effort to attract more travelers nationally and internationally.

“We applaud President Obama’s commitment to improving travelers’ experiences at our nation’s airports and making this a top priority. Enhancing the ease of travel is fundamental to creating a welcoming and memorable experience. As an industry that opens its doors to some five million guests each day, the hospitality industry understands how pivotal travel and tourism is to our nation’s economy and strengthening communities around the country. In 2013 alone, the flow of international travelers increased to nearly 70 million, and we are committed to working to support the goal of reaching 100 million travelers to the U.S. by 2021. We also commend the Administration for engaging the hotel industry in ongoing discussions to transform and improve processes and foster a better traveling experience,” said AH&LA president and CEO Katherine Lugar. “Establishing ‘best-in -class’ service at our nation’s airports is a forward-thinking, aspirational goal. We applaud the Administration for their leadership, and look forward to continuing to work together as this initiative moves forward.”

The hotel industry has been a bright spot for job growth. Critical to generating and maintaining this growth has been, and will be, increasing the flow of foreign visitors to the United States. In 2013, international travelers to the U.S. increased 5 percent over 2012 to a record 69.8 million, and overseas arrivals grew by 8 percent to a record 32 million. Resident and international travelers in the United States spend an average of $2.4 billion a day, generating $887.9 billion in sales (excluding international passenger fares on U.S. airlines). Further, the tourism industry pays $134 billion in federal, state, and local taxes, and directly supports more than 7.9 million travel and tourism jobs.