Advocacy. When you think of that word, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? For me, it’s standing up for what you believe in. But on top of that, it’s standing up for others even if their cause doesn’t directly affect you. Whether it’s fighting for the best interests of our members and hoteliers or for our health as it pertains to the pandemic, if we don’t stand up for others, who will be left to stand up for us when we need it? Advocacy is a huge part of AAHOA’s mission and supporting our more than 20,000 members on the state, local, and federal levels is more important than ever. While the phrase, “We’re all in this together,” has been extremely overused over the past year and a half, there’s a reason for that. There is strength in numbers. If you’ve ever had someone defend you, put their reputation on the line, or speak up on your behalf, it likely left a lasting impression on you.
AAHOA wants to leave a lasting impression on our members with each issue we bring to our lawmakers by building trust, credibility, and change. Whether it’s fighting for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program to provide economic relief to small businesses or gathering statistics on AAHOA’s economic impact and industry influence of our members, each “win” gets us one step closer to accomplishing our goals.
As we inch closer and closer to the end of 2021 and welcome a new year, my hope is that we all focus more on advocacy efforts and how that will help shape our industry for years to come. In the past year, AAHOA and other industry leaders spent a substantial amount of time with lawmakers at the state, local, and federal level, both virtually and in person.
AAHOA Members participated in our Virtual Action Summit, giving them time with members of Congress to discuss how COVID-19 impacted their business. We joined forces with AHLA to form the American Hospitality Alliance (AHA) to pool our resources and better serve our members when it comes to advocacy and political engagement at the state and local levels.
From the topic of human trafficking and information on being ADA compliant, to fighting for pre-pandemic per diem rates and securing much-needed financial relief for struggling hoteliers, our advocacy efforts run the gamut.
AAHOA is an organization built on diversity, acceptance, and an appreciation for different cultures. We want to wish you a happy Diwali, the festival of lights celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains across the world. We hope this holiday brings happiness, joy, and prosperity to you and your family.
As we close out the last quarter of the year, I ask that you pick an advocacy issue and make it your mission to stay informed on the topic, get involved, and meet others who are passionate about the same issue.
The more we highlight certain issues, the more likely we are to see results. As the proverb says, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
We are Team AAHOA, and we have so much more to accomplish together.
We want to wish you a happy Diwali, the festival of lights celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains across the world. We hope this holiday brings happiness, joy, and prosperity to you and your family.”
