Destination Capitol Hill: Make Travel’s Voice Heard in Washington

Destination Capitol Hill (DCH), the industry’s premier fly-in advocacy event, will take place on April 10-11.

The event brings travel leaders from across the country to Washington, D.C., to educate policymakers about the power of travel. The program includes Q&A sessions, networking opportunities, our Grassroots Travel Champion Award presentation and face-to-face meetings with members of Congress and their staff.

DCH ensures that our industry’s collective voice is heard, and that our elected representatives have a solid understanding of travel’s contributions to the American economy, as well as the important issues facing our industry. Last year’s event was hugely influential: more than 315 meetings with Capitol Hill offices took place, which helped elevate a number of key travel industry priorities.  

This year, we will be focusing our advocacy efforts on four specific issues.

• Brand USA’s reauthorization
• The introduction of a comprehensive infrastructure package
• A legislative fix for the $12 billion deferred maintenance repairs backlog in our national parks
• Expanding the Visa Waiver Program and renaming it the Secure Travel Partnership Program

Also, new this year at DCH we will offer attendees the opportunity to record a video message (available on site Wednesday morning through Thursday) to send to representatives through their organizations' social media channels—further amplifying travel's voice on key advocacy initiatives through a direct, digital presence. 

U.S. Travel has developed tools to help strengthen our messaging on the Hill, including two calculators that convey travel’s impact on national, state and local economies. The Travel’s Downstream Impact Calculator shows how increases or decreases in travel spending affect output and jobs, and breaks down how specific industries are impacted. The Travel Economic Impact Calculator includes simulations for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the total U.S., and shows how even small changes in travel spending can significantly impact a state’s economy.

DCH is a can’t-miss event that helps us tell the story of travel to our elected officials. Please click here to register, and we look forward to seeing you on the Hill.