WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Travel Association, the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry, announced the founding of its new Sustainable Travel Coalition, which will focus on developing strategies to boost sustainability in the U.S. travel industry.
The Sustainable Travel Coalition, which currently features 60 member organizations, will serve as an advisory body on sustainability issues and concerns among its member organizations and destinations, and will include a Policy Committee to help drive progress and collaboration.
“As we will discuss at this fall’s Future of Travel Mobility Summit, sustainability is informing the decisions of business leaders, corporate strategy and the traveling public,” Tori Emerson Barnes, U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, said. “Travel businesses and organizations are already taking steps to reduce waste, lower emissions, protect natural environments and switch to more sustainable sourcing. However, to accelerate and enable greater investment in this area, our new coalition can speak with one united voice to policy makers to advance investment and create a sustainable travel culture for generations to come.”
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U.S. Travel announced some of its long-term goals such as highlighting why sustainability matters and the importance of it as a core to the future of travel, and spotlighting industry progress by showcasing innovative technologies.
“As technology advances and consumers demand more sustainable travel options, the work of this coalition will ensure that the U.S. travel industry can meet the needs of an evolving market while also protecting our planet’s natural resources,” Barnes said.
Other goals include identifying and promoting proactive policies to help the industry achieve its goals.
Travel Industry Calls on Congress to Act
More than 100 travel organizations, including groups within the Coalition, also recently sent a letter to congress calling on the federal government to advance some of the sustainability priorities:
- A tax credit for the production and use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), such as those proposed in the Sustainable Skies Act (H.R. 3440/S. 2263).
- An enhanced tax credit to increase the availability of electric vehicle charging stations.
- An enhanced tax deduction to increase energy efficiency upgrades to commercial buildings.
- Federal investments to protect and restore natural attractions, including recreational waterways, shorelines and national parks.
- Other clean energy incentives for investment in renewable energy deployment, green hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, direct air capture and other innovative technologies to lower the carbon intensity of transportation fuels and the power grid.
“This is clearly an issue that spans well beyond the travel industry itself to practically all other sectors of the U.S. economy,” Barnes said. “By bringing together stakeholders across related industries, we are aligning leaders in travel, transportation and technology on the critical issues that will affect their businesses for decades to come.”
Reach Tori Emerson Barnes at (202) 408-8422
