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Congresswoman Foxx Gets Inside Story on Lodging Industry Footprint

“Back of the house” tour highlights workforce, economic impacts

Washington, DC – August 30, 2013 – Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC-05) participated today in a tour of the Holiday Inn Express - Boone as part of her district listening tour during the August congressional district work period.

The “back of the house” tour was led by Jason Nichols, general manager of the hotel. During the tour, Nichols highlighted the impact of the Holiday Inn Express as a driver of jobs and economic growth in Boone, and of the travel and tourism industry as a whole on the Fifth Congressional District.

“The travel and tourism industry contributes a great deal to our local economy,” Congresswoman Foxx stated. “Not only do restaurants and hotels bring in revenue that helps support other North Carolina job creators, they provide good jobs to working families as well. I appreciated the behind-the-scenes tour of Boone’s Holiday Inn today and especially having the opportunity to meet support team members as they worked to keep this round-the-clock operation running.”

Also participating in the tour was Lynn Minges, president/CEO of the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association (NCRLA). According to Minges, “Congresswoman Foxx has been a long-time champion of the North Carolina hospitality industry. Her district includes some of the most important travel destinations in our state. Our visit today helped to reaffirm that many families and businesses depend on our continued success.”

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the sole national association representing the interests of the U.S. lodging industry, has actively worked with members of Congress to encourage them to visit hotels in their individual districts to learn more about the impact of the industry.

“The American Hotel & Lodging Association is grateful to Congresswoman Foxx for taking time to visit one of the valuable components of the North Carolina economy,” said Katherine Lugar, AH&LA president/CEO. “Having seen the importance of the lodging industry first-hand through her tour of the Holiday Inn Express – Boone, she can now return to Washington and share with her colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives the importance of enacting legislation that will enable the lodging industry in North Carolina to continue creating jobs and driving economic growth.”

According to 2011 statistics compiled by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the North Carolina lodging industry is responsible for 38,156 jobs and $1.016 billion in wages. As of July 2013, there were 1,714 lodging properties across North Carolina, comprised of 147,183 rooms. Smith Travel Research (STR) reports that total room revenue generated by the lodging industry in 2012 was $2.585 billion.

Nationally, the lodging industry supports 1.8 million jobs at 52,529 properties comprised of 4.9 million rooms.

Serving the hospitality industry for more than a century, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) is the sole national association representing all sectors and stakeholders in the lodging industry, including individual hotel property members, hotel companies, student and faculty members, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AH&LA provides members with national advocacy on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information, and other value-added services to provide bottom-line savings and ensure a positive business climate for the lodging industry. Partner state associations provide local representation and additional cost-saving benefits to member