Travel Industry Women Leaders Lend Voices in Washington, DC

The ninth USTOA Congressional Caucus held on September 21 & 22 in Washington, D.C. included top travel industry professionals and legislative leaders discussing travel recovery and the economy.

As an honorary life member of USTOA, I had the pleasure of leading (Group2), a team of travel industry professionals women, who represented the interests of U.S. travelers, their companies, and the economy. Joining me were:

1. Elizabeth Crabil, CEO of CIE Tours
2. Fatemeh Letellie, COO of Pinnacle Travel Document Systems
3. Malia Asfour, Director of Jordan Tourism Board, NA
4. Julie Biedenharn. Director of Strategic Partnerships, Allianz Partners
5. Ashley MacLaughlin, Business Development Director, Allianz Partners
6. Julie Hrdlicka, Elevate

These articulate and accomplished women covered the strategic priorities outlined by USTOA.

We pressed for a commitment to a plan to open international travel, eliminate the backlog of passport and visa applications, and support programs like Brand USA, Visa Waiver Program, and Employee Retention Tax Credits.

Our meetings were a mix of Hill visits and virtual sessions with the following legislative offices:

Sen. John Thune (R-SD)
Rep. John Joyce (R-PA)
Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND)
Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL)
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

All of us are passionate about the travel industry because travel is a key economic driver globally. With international borders closed, the U.S. loses $198M a day! We need travel to support jobs and the businesses that depend on tourism dollars. Our commitment of time is a small price to pay to make our voices heard.

Paula Twidale, Sr. Vice President, Travel, AAA National Office
Note: the image is our team in the conference at Elevate’s Government Affairs Office in Washington DC.