Herman and 300 other top lodging professionals gathered to voice issues facing the U.S. hotel industry today, including asking Congress to create travel policies welcoming international visitors to boost the U.S. economy

Miami, FL — June 3, 2013 — During the American Hotel & Lodging Association's (AH&LA) recent annual Legislative Action Summit, Fabric Innovations Owner Deborah Herman joined about 300 top lodging industry professionals gathered in the nation's capital to "Storm The Hill" to make lodging industry issues known to Members of Congress.

International Tourism to the U.S. – Breaking Records, Major Opportunities
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, in 2012 more than 66 million international tourists visited the United States, generating an all-time record of $168 billion in revenue – which is an increase of 10 percent from 2011. Additionally, as travel and tourism is the largest category of services exports in the United States, a primary goal of the AH&LA delegation was to implore Congress to create travel policies welcoming international visitors to further boost the U.S. economy.

Through provisions included in the Jobs Originated Through Launching Travel (JOLT) Act, the chance to recapture Americans' historic 17% share of worldwide overseas travel, welcome 98 million international visitors to the United States, and create 1.3 million new U.S. jobs by 2020; is within reach.

Says Herman, "It is very important for Congress to understand the need – and huge opportunity – to capture the overwhelming revenue that the travel and tourism sector brings to this country. Hoteliers, and those involved in the segment, need to take time such as our recent AH&LA Storming the Hill, to make our collective voices heard on these extremely important issues facing our industry today.

"Our sector's economic potential continues to grow, which is why the president announced new initiatives last year. The key point here is for Congress to fulfill their obligations and move forward to capture the opportunities at hand."

During the session, the lobbying group also extended their support for passing a broad-based immigration solution to ensure that U.S. borders are secure, and that the country has the workers to fuel economic growth.

Herman says, "The AH&LA supports a broad-based solution for immigration reform that provides access to temporary workers to meet economic demand and secures our borders, while remaining a hospitality nation to those that travel here for business or leisure."

After the defeat of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) supports of the bill have shifted strategies to focus on imposing EFCA's provisions through regulations. Herman comments that, in addition to being unwarranted, "these activities weaken the economy and hamper job growth by creating more uncertainty and red tape when hiring workers." The group worked to urge Congress to protect hotels from unwarranted regulations, like these.

Florida delegates take part in storming The Hill
The Florida delegation of the AH&LA lobbying group included notable travel industry executives representing prestigious travel companies, including Brian Quinn, EVP & Principal Development, Driftwood Hospitality Management; Bernard Moyle-Founder, COO & CFO, Vantage Hospitality Group; and Stephen J. Davis, President of Safemark Systems.

For further information, please call 305-860-5757 or visit www.fabricinnovations.com.

About Fabric Innovations

Fabric Innovations is a leading supplier of luxury linens, bedding and custom fabrics to the hospitality industry, specializing in long-term procurement programs for prestigious hotel properties and chains. Their extensive product line includes bedding, drapes and window treatments, custom fabrics, and bath products including robes and slippers. Fabric Innovations maintains its corporate headquarters in Miami, Fl. with regional offices and manufacturing facilities in the U.S., India, China, Turkey, Mexico and Latin America. For more information, please call 305-860-5757 or visit www.fabricinnovations.com.

Margarita León
Director of Sourcing
305.860.5757

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