I-ALEXANDRIA, VA - Emva kwephulo elinamandla eliqhutywe yi-American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) ngokuchasene nomthetho oya kunyanzelisa i-6% yerhafu yokuthengisa kwiintlawulo ze-arhente yokuhamba ngokubhukisha amagumbi ehotele ase-Maryland, iRhuluneli yase-Maryland uLarry Hogan uye wavala umthetho oyilwayo. Amalungu e-ASTA adlale indima ebalulekileyo ekoyiseni i-Senate Bill (SB) 190, kubandakanywa ubungqina kwiingxoxo kunye nokwenza ityala labo ngeefowuni, iincoko zobuso ngobuso kunye ne-imeyile, kubandakanywa nemiyalezo ephantse ibe yi-350 ethunyelwe kubaqulunqi bomgaqo-nkqubo kwi-intanethi ye-ASTA. .
"Siyayiqhwabela izandla iRhuluneli uHogan ngokulandula eli tyala, elinokuthi lenze ukuba iihotele zaseMaryland zingakhuphisani, iiarhente zaseMaryland zingabinangeniso, kwaye zikhuphe inkuthazo malunga ne-105,000 yeearhente ezingaphandle korhulumente ukuba zithengise iihotele zaseMaryland," utshilo uMongameli we-ASTA kunye ne-CEO uZane Kerby. "Olu kuphumelela lwenziwe ngokubambisana okuqinileyo phakathi kwe-ASTA kunye nabanye abachaphazelekayo bokusasazwa kohambo, kodwa ngokukodwa ngeenzame zamalungu ethu asekuhlaleni afana noJay Ellenby, uKaren Dunlap kunye noLarry Swerdlin. Enkosi kula malungu abandakanyekayo-kunye nazo zonke iiarhente zaseMaryland ezithathe inxaxheba kwiphulo lethu elisezantsi-iiarhente zokuhamba kwilizwe lonke zithintele ngaphezulu kwe-5 yezigidi zeerandi ngonyaka kwiirhafu ezintsha zokubhukisha iihotele zaseMaryland.
I-Senate Bill 190 yayiza kusebenzisa irhafu yentengiso ye-6% yelizwe kwimirhumo yenkonzo kunye nezinye ii-arhente zemarkups zihlawulisa abathengi ngokubhukisha naliphi na igumbi lehotele eMaryland. I-ASTA iqikelela ukuba ukuba iphunyezwe njengoko kubhaliwe, isiphakamiso siya kuba neendleko ze-$ 81,000 kwiirhafu zonyaka ze-arhente zokuhamba zase-Maryland, ngokuhlangeneyo, okanye ngaphezu kwe-5 yezigidi zeedola ngonyaka kwii-arhente zelizwe lonke.
Umthetho oyilwayo uphumelele i-Senate ngo-Matshi 24 ngevoti ye-32 ukuya kwi-15. Ngomhla we-8 ku-Epreli, emva kokugatya izilungiso ezininzi zokunciphisa ukufikelela kwerhafu okanye ukuphucula i-bill, kubandakanywa ezimbini ezinikezelwa nguDel. Kathy Szeliga (R-Baltimore / Harford County), iNdlu wapasisa umthetho oyilwayo ngevoti 84 ukuba 56. NgoMeyi 22, iRhuluneli Hogan vetoed umthetho oyilwayo, ecaphula isimangalo esalindileyo enxulumene nokuba okanye hayi ii-arhente kufuneka ukuba akhuphe irhafu yokuthengisa ngokunxulumene Maryland hotel bookings. INdibano yeZizwe eziManyeneyo inokuzama ukubhukuqa i-veto yeRhuluneli xa idibana ngoJanuwari wama-2016.
Amalungu e-ASTA adlale indima ebalulekileyo ekulweni ukuze anqobe esi siphakamiso esingafanelekanga, kuquka u-Jay Ellenby we-Safe Harbour Travel e-Bel Air kunye noNondyebo we-ASTA wangoku, owangqina kabini (ngoFebruwari 11 kunye no-Matshi 11) phambi kweekomiti zowiso-mthetho ezibonisa ukuchaswa i-bill, ngelixa uLarry Swerdlin waseBurton Travel e-Owings Mills wangqina ngo-Matshi 11. Ngo-Aprili 1, uKaren Dunlap we-Travel-On, Ltd. wajoyina u-Ellenby kunye ne-ASTA SVP yoRhulumente kunye neMicimbi yeShishini u-Eben Peck kwinkomfa yenkomfa phambi kwelizwe. indlu ibongoza abezomthetho ukuba bachase iSB 190. Kwakhona, uPeck noKerby badibana neGosa leRhuluneli yoWiso-mthetho uJoseph Getty ekuqaleni kuka-Epreli.
I-ASTA ibisebenza ngokuchasene nezindululo ezifanayo zokwandiswa kwerhafu yehotele kulo lonke ilizwe ngolungelelwaniso olusondeleyo kunye namahlakani eshishini lokuhamba njenge-Travel Technology Association, kubandakanywa mva nje eVirginia, apho ekuqaleni kwalo nyaka uwiso-mthetho wavotela phantsi umthetho oyilwayo oza kubeka umrhumo ohlawuliswa ngu. “abameli bendawo yokuhlala” ngokuququzelela ukubhukisha iihotele zaseVirginia kuzo zombini irhafu yentengiso yeCommonwealth kunye neerhafu zendawo yokuhlala. Ngokwenza njalo, uMbutho unike amandla ii-arhente zokuhamba ukuba zenze amazwi abo avakaliswe ngabawi-mthetho baseburhulumenteni ngokuhlaziywa kwezomthetho, iintetho zokuthetha kunye nezinye izibonelelo eziphantsi.
“Umsebenzi onzima wamalungu aseMaryland ASTA uqinisekisa ukuba iiarhente zokuhamba zaseMaryland aziyi kubethwa ngeedola ezingaphezulu ezingama-81,000 ngokuhlangeneyo kwiirhafu ezintsha minyaka le,” utshilo uKerby. "Siyayibulela zombini imizamo yabo kunye neRhuluneli kunye nabameli bezomthetho abaxhasayo, njengoMthunywa uSzeliga, owavuma ukuba inkqubo yokusabalalisa uhambo oluzimeleyo akufanele ijoliswe kwiirhafu ezintsha kunye ne-red tape."
INTO ONOKUYITHATHA KWELI NQAKU:
- ASTA has been working against similar hotel tax expansion proposals across the county in close coordination with travel industry allies such as the Travel Technology Association, including most recently in Virginia, where earlier this year the legislature voted down a bill that would subject the fees charged by “accommodations intermediaries” for facilitating Virginia hotel bookings to both the Commonwealth's sales tax and local occupancy taxes.
- ASTA members played a critical role in the fight to defeat this ill-considered proposal, including Jay Ellenby of Safe Harbors Travel in Bel Air and current ASTA Treasurer, who testified twice (on February 11 and March 11) before legislative committees expressing opposition to the bill, while Larry Swerdlin of Burton Travel in Owings Mills testified on March 11.
- ALEXANDRIA, VA – After a vigorous campaign waged by the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) against legislation that would impose a 6% sales tax on travel agency fees for booking Maryland hotel rooms, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has vetoed the bill.
