TravelersFirst.org Coalition to Mobilize Millions of Online Travelers Against New Taxes, Unfair Tourism Policies

The Interactive Travel Services Association (www.interactivetravel.org) today announced the launch of TravelersFirst.org, a new coalition representing millions of users of online travel sites that will educate and mobilize those users to take action on important public policy issues like new tourism taxes and unfair tourism policies.

Among the highest priorities for the coalition will be passage of the Internet Travel Tax Fairness Act (ITTFA), federal legislation that would protect online travelers from being taxed twice on each hotel visit they book online - once on the cost of the hotel room and a second time on the service fees for booking the room.

"America's travelers will no longer silently watch as tourism taxes rise," said Art Sackler, Executive Director of the Interactive Travel Services Association (ITSA). "Tens of millions of Americans use online travel sites every year to book vacations, plan trips, and visit friends and family, yet their voices have been missing from policy debates over important travel issues like new taxes and regulation. The TravelersFirst.org coalition will help millions of online travelers mobilize and make their voices heard."

The Internet Travel Tax Fairness Act would create a federal standard in this vital area of interstate commerce by:

    1) Protecting all existing local hotel occupancy taxes,

    2) Allowing states to tax the fees charged by travel intermediaries like

     travel agents and online travel companies,

    3) Preventing the nation's 7,000 local tax authorities from creating

     conflicting and contradictory tax policies in this area, and

    4) Ending new litigation on the issue, while allowing ongoing cases to

     proceed.

  --  New and higher tourism taxes on hotels, airlines, car rentals, and

      travel intermediaries

  --  Inconsistent state and local tax regulations that can lead to higher

      costs and less service

  --  Lack of transparency and/or access to ancillary airline fees

  --  Local tourism regulations that make travel more difficult or expensive

      for visitors

  --  Other pro-consumer travel policies to reduce costs and improve the

      travel experience