Policy Archives - Travel Tech Association

Friday, July 4, 2025 — Today, Laura Chadwick, President and CEO of the Travel Technology Association, released the following statement after President Trump signed the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ into law:

“Travel Tech applauds the President for signing into law key pro-innovation provisions of the final reconciliation bill that will deliver targeted, pro-growth tax relief for both travel tech startups and established technology providers serving millions of travelers worldwide.”

“The new law makes full expensing for domestic research and development (R&D) permanent, restores 100% bonus depreciation, preserves the 20% Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction for pass-through businesses, and modernizes Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) rules. Together, these provisions provide companies across the travel technology ecosystem with greater certainty to invest in product development, expand hiring, and drive innovation.”

“Travel Tech championed these pro-innovation policies because they provide essential support and unlock capital for startups, while also giving larger travel technology companies the certainty to invest in new products, grow their workforce, and accelerate innovation across the industry.”

“While this bill provides crucial support for innovation and investment, unfortunately it also cuts funding for Brand USA at a time when the U.S. should be doubling down on promoting tourism, not pulling back. With major global events like the 2026 World Cup, America250, and the 2028 Olympics on the horizon, this is a critical moment to strengthen—not weaken—our international marketing efforts.”

“We want to thank President Trump and congressional leaders in the House and Senate for working diligently to get this bill across the finish line which will ultimately result in innovation, investment, and growth across the travel technology sector. This legislation is an important step toward strengthening America’s digital economy and ensuring that travel technology companies of all sizes have the resources needed to grow, compete, and deliver value to travelers and businesses alike.”

The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) empowers traveler choice by advocating for public policy that promotes marketplace transparency and competition. Travel Tech represents the leading innovators in travel technology, including online travel agencies, metasearch engines, short-term rental platforms, global distribution systems, and travel management companies.

To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Bradford Williamson of Glen Echo Group at 202.870.3234 or bwilliamson@glenechogroup.com.

Tuesday, July 1, 2025 — Today, Laura Chadwick, President and CEO of the Travel Technology Association, released a statement following the Senate’s passage of the reconciliation bill:

“The Travel Technology Association applauds the Senate for advancing critical provisions that support innovation, investment, and growth across the travel technology sector.”

“By making full expensing for domestic research and development (R&D) permanent and restoring 100% bonus depreciation, the bill supports travel technology companies—both large and small—as they develop and deploy new technology including AI-powered tools and invest in the capital-intensive upgrades to server architecture, data centers, and cloud systems needed to sustain innovation across the industry.”

“Additionally, by preserving the Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction and modernizing Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) rules, the bill will unlock investment, accelerate product development, and enhance U.S. competitiveness in the rapidly evolving global travel landscape. Travel Tech has championed policies like these, which provide critical support for startups driving innovation and competition throughout the sector.”

“However, while the Senate’s tax package advances critical support for innovation and investment, it cuts funding for Brand USA at a time when the U.S. should be doubling down on promoting tourism, not pulling back. With major global events like the 2026 World Cup, America250, and the 2028 Olympics on the horizon, this is a critical moment to strengthen—not weaken—our international marketing efforts.”

“Our members play a critical role in connecting travelers to local communities. We know firsthand how tourism—and Brand USA’s work—drives billions in spending in the U.S., supporting local jobs and businesses, and fueling economic growth in every state.”

“Travel Tech will continue to work with the administration and Congressional leaders to restore full funding for Brand USA and ensure the U.S. travel industry remains competitive on the world stage.”

To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Bradford Williamson of Glen Echo Group at 202.870.3234 or bwilliamson@glenechogroup.com.

Monday, June 30, 2025 — Today, Laura Chadwick, President and CEO of the Travel Technology Association, released a statement following Canada’s decision to rescind the proposed Digital Services Tax (DST):

“Travel Tech welcomes Canada’s decision to rescind the retroactive Digital Services Tax (DST) previously set to take effect today. This move signals a positive step toward renewed trade negotiations.”

“While this is meaningful progress, continued dialogue between the U.S. and global partners is essential to ensure international tax policy does not unfairly burden the travel technology industry. This includes continued opposition to DSTs across jurisdictions. DSTs create complex overlapping liabilities, subjecting a single transaction to multiple jurisdictions, resulting in double or even triple taxation and higher compliance costs that deter market expansion.”

“Travel Tech encouraged by Canada’s decision to drop the DST and return to the negotiation table. We thank President Trump for his leadership in opposing the Canadian DST and for his ongoing efforts to push back against other discriminatory digital tax proposals around the world. Travel Tech remains committed to supporting fair, consistent, and innovation-friendly tax policies across borders.”

To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Bradford Williamson of Glen Echo Group at 202.870.3234 or bwilliamson@glenechogroup.com.

Wednesday, June 25, 2025 — Last month at Travel Tech’s second annual Policy & Innovation Showcase, Brandon Palumbo, Director of Policy and Government Relations at Travel Tech, moderated a panel discussion titled “Navigating the Unique Needs of Travel Tech Start-ups.” The panel explored the specific challenges these companies face, including securing funding and managing complex tax and regulatory environments.

The discussion centered around what public policies exist in the United States that support start-ups, as well as those that are needed to help them thrive. Panelists also talked about what investors look for in early-stage companies and what policymakers are missing that could help encourage and incentivize investment.

Tomasz Pawliszyn explained how the United States is leading the way in investment and how a majority of those in the travel tech industry come from the US, emphasizing the need for policies that protect investments and allow the start-up ecosystem to grow. He also highlighted the importance of regulations that stimulate innovation for start-ups and incentivize investors to invest due to the risky nature of start-ups.

Branda Fan discussed Nowy’s fundraising journey and the difficulties early-stage founders face with getting venture funding. She also talked about her concerns with state-level patchwork legislation on investment and avoiding policies that require start-ups to deal with a full regulatory load at an early stage.

Cara Whitehill shared one of the challenges in the start-up investment environment — that angel investors must be accredited and meet certain criteria, which limits investment. As such, she called for an expanded pool of capital to increase the number of people who can invest and the need for more policies that foster more innovation and make it easier for start-ups to “devote as much of their dollars to innovate” as possible.

Travel Tech continues to advocate for public policies that allow travel tech start-ups and SMBs to retain more of their earnings, have greater access to capital and compete in the A.I. marketplace. Learn about Travel Tech’s policy priorities and support R&D Expensing, Bonus Depreciation, and S. 695 at the Policy Action Center.

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To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Bradford Williamson of Glen Echo Group at 202.870.3234 or bwilliamson@glenechogroup.com.

Tuesday, June 17, 2025 — Today, Laura Chadwick, President and CEO of the Travel Technology Association, released a statement on the Senate Finance Committee’s legislative text as part of the Senate’s budget reconciliation bill.

“Travel Tech applauds the Senate Finance Committee for including key provisions in its latest draft of the reconciliation bill that support innovation and small business growth. Making full expensing for domestic research and development (R&D) permanent, restoring 100% bonus depreciation, and enhancing Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) benefits will help drive greater innovation, investment, and competitiveness within the travel technology sector.”

“We want to thank Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) and members of the Senate Finance Committee for their leadership and continued support for small businesses and competition. These provisions send a clear signal that digital entrepreneurs and innovators remain a policy priority on both sides of the aisle.”

These provisions align with Travel Tech’s pro-innovation priorities. Travel Tech has been a vocal advocate of permanent R&D investments and the extension of bonus depreciation. Travel Tech recently sent a letter to the Senate Finance Committee in support of such provisions.

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To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Bradford Williamson of Glen Echo Group at 202.870.3234 or bwilliamson@glenechogroup.com.

Travel Tech calls on Senate Finance Committee and travel tech industry members to take action.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025 — The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and protecting the travel technology industry, sent a letter to the Senate Finance Committee today urging it to make permanent the full and immediate expensing of R&D investments and bonus depreciation in its budget reconciliation bill. The Senate Finance Committee will soon consider this legislation in order to meet its self-imposed July 4^th full Senate passage deadline.

The House-passed reconciliation bill, H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, extended R&D expensing and bonus depreciation for only five years. However, the permanence of these provisions is essential. Without permanence, travel tech companies, both large and small, will face difficulties in planning multi-year investments in technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. These innovations are transforming customer expectations and market dynamics in the travel industry.

“Permanent R&D expensing and bonus depreciation tax provisions directly enhance the ability of travel technology platforms to deploy new features faster, improve system performance, and compete in the global travel marketplace driven by speed, scale, and service reliability,” said Laura Chadwick, president & CEO of Travel Tech. “These permanent tax provisions are essential to support innovation in the travel technology industry as it develops and deploys new AI-based tools.”

Federal R&D expensing allows businesses to immediately deduct the full cost of qualified research and development activities from their taxable income in the year the expenses are incurred. This accelerates tax savings, improves cash flow, and encourages innovation by reducing the after-tax cost of developing new products, technologies, or processes.

Bonus depreciation is a tax incentive that allows businesses to immediately deduct a large percentage of the cost of qualifying capital investments, like equipment, machinery, or certain software, in the year the asset is placed in service, rather than spreading the deduction over several years.

Travel Tech previously issued an “Action Alert” encouraging its members and industry stakeholders to contact their Senators to support permanent R&D tax expensing and bonus depreciation through its Policy Action Center. Travel Tech has pre-drafted a letter on these issues for industry members to easily send to their representatives directly from its Policy Action Center.

Learn more about Travel Tech’s policy priorities and take action to support Permanent R&D Expensing by visiting Travel Tech’s Policy Action Center.

To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Bradford Williamson of Glen Echo Group at 202.870.3234 or bwilliamson@glenechogroup.com.

Travel Tech calls on Congress to make permanent R&D expensing and pass S. 695, the Small Business Investment Act of 2025

Wednesday, June 4, 2025 — The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and protecting the travel technology industry, released two “action alerts” calling on travel technology industry members to communicate directly with their elected representatives and show support for key Travel Tech public policy priorities in the Senate’s reconciliation package, including pro-innovation tax reforms like permanent R&D expensing and bonus depreciation and support for S. 695, the Small Business Investment Act of 2025.

“Making full R&D expensing and 100% bonus depreciation permanent—and modernizing Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) rules through S. 695—will give startups the certainty and flexibility they need to attract investment, scale quickly, and compete globally. We urge the Senate to include these critical provisions in reconciliation to empower the next generation of travel technology innovators,” stated Laura Chadwick, President and CEO of Travel Tech.

Startups and high-growth companies depend on stable tax policies to drive innovation and growth. However, current rules that require amortizing R&D expenses over several years hinder long-term planning and investment. While the House-passed reconciliation bill temporarily restores full domestic R&D expensing and extends 100% bonus depreciation through 2029, Travel Tech is calling on the Senate to make these provisions permanent, thus encouraging private-sector innovation and maintaining U.S. competitiveness.

At Travel Tech’s inaugural Start-Up Summit, Wright Ricketts, Legislative Director for Rep. David Kustoff (TN-08), discussed H.R. 1199, the Small Business Investment Act of 2025 and how it will help attract more investment in start-ups. Its Senate companion bill, S. 695, the Small Business Investment Act of 2025, was introduced by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and aims to improve access to capital for start-ups and early-stage businesses. If passed, the bill would modernize Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) rules by reducing its holding period from 5 years to 3 years, extending the eligibility of S corporations and allowing start-up investors to convert debt into equity and still qualify for the same tax benefits.

Learn more about Travel Tech’s policy priorities and take action to support Permanent R&D Expensing and Bonus Depreciation and S. 695, the Small Business Investment Act of 2025, by visiting Travel Tech’s Policy Action Center.

To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Bradford Williamson of Glen Echo Group at 202.870.3234 or bwilliamson@glenechogroup.com.

Thursday, May 15, 2025 — Today, Brandon Palumbo, Director of Policy & Government Relations at the Travel Technology Association, released the following statement:

“Travel Tech welcomes the House’s progress on key tax provisions supporting small and mid-sized businesses in the travel technology industry. Making the Section 199A pass-through deduction permanent and restoring 100% bonus depreciation are important steps that will help our members, especially startups and SMBs, reinvest, grow, and create jobs.”

“While the temporary suspension of amortization for domestic R&D expenses through 2029 is a meaningful step, we continue to support permanent full R&D expensing to ensure that U.S. innovators can remain globally competitive. Travel Tech also encourages Congress to consider permanent bonus depreciation, which would give companies the long-term certainty they need to plan investments and scale their operations.”

“We appreciate congressional leadership’s recognition of the policy tools that enable small businesses to thrive and remain committed to working with both chambers to promote a competitive, innovation-friendly tax environment for the travel technology sector.”

To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Bradford Williamson of Glen Echo Group at 202.870.3234 or bwilliamson@glenechogroup.com.

Thursday, May 8, 2025 — Yesterday, the Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) hosted its inaugural Start-Up Summit and second annual Policy & Innovation Showcase. The events brought together Travel Tech member companies, policymakers, early-stage start-ups, and experts to highlight the industry’s ongoing work to make the travel experience more transparent, competitive, and innovative for consumers.

The day kicked off with Travel Tech’s inaugural Start-Up Summit. Attendees heard from various experts. Wright Ricketts, Legislative Director for Rep. David Kustoff (TN-08) discussed H.R. 1199, the Small Business Investment Act of 2025 and how it will help attract more investment in start-ups. Matthew Stevens, Deputy Associate Administrator of the Small Business Administration’s Office of Investment and Innovation highlighted the many resources the agency offers through its local partners and programs. Matt Zito, Managing Partner at TSi, Cara Whitehill, Vice President at Thayer Investment Partners, and Tomasz Pawliszyn, CEO of AirHelp shared strategies for scaling startups, with a focus on maximizing angel investment and preparing for venture capital.

That evening, more than 150 people joined Travel Tech and its members for the second annual Policy & Innovation Showcase, including Members of Congress and their staff.

“The Travel Tech Association was founded in 1999 to support the original innovators in travel technology—many of whom are now household names,” said Laura Chadwick. “We were proud to bring together both these pioneers and the newest generation of innovators in D.C. to highlight the intersection of travel, technology, and policy.”

Travel Tech CEO Laura Chadwick moderated a conversation on sports tourism and the role of travel technology platforms in enhancing fans’ travel experiences. The panel included Meg Kane, CEO of the Philadelphia World Cup Host Committee; Becky Foley, Vice President and Head of Trust & Safety at Tripadvisor; and Nathan Rotman, Director, North American Policy Strategy at Airbnb.

Brandon Palumbo, Travel Tech’s Director of Policy and Government Relations, led a discussion on how public policy can address startups’ needs, joined by Cara Whitehill (Thayer Investment Partners), Tomasz Pawliszyn (AirHelp), and Branda Fan (Nowy).

Later in the evening, Travel Tech, joined by Chase Travel Group, presented Travel Tech’s Innovation Leadership Award to Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12) for their leadership in championing innovation in the travel industry.

To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Bradford Williamson of Glen Echo Group at 202.870.3234 or bwilliamson@glenechogroup.com.

Monday, April 28, 2025 — Today, Laura Chadwick, President and CEO of the Travel Technology Association, released a statement on the passage of H.R.1479, the Hotel Fees Transparency Act of 2025 in the House.

“Travel Tech applauds the House for passing H.R. 1479, the Hotel Fees Transparency Act of 2025, which will require consumers to be shown the total price up-front for hotel rooms and other places of short-term lodging, inclusive of the nightly rate and all mandatory fees. This bill and its Senate companion, S.314, set one national standard on what constitutes a ‘total service price’ and how it must be displayed, giving consumers clarity regardless of where or how they book lodging accommodations.”

“We thank Reps. Young Kim (CA-40), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Russell Fry (SC-07), and Kevin Mullin (CA-15) for their leadership and support on this bipartisan, common-sense legislation.”

“Travel Tech has been a vocal advocate of the Hotel Fees Transparency Act of 2025 and previously issued a letter of support for the reintroduction of S.314, the Senate companion bill to this legislation, which has since passed out of the Senate Commerce Committee. We strongly encourage the Senate to bring S.314 to a full floor vote and send this bill to the President’s desk for his signature.”

To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Bradford Williamson of Glen Echo Group at 202.870.3234 or bwilliamson@glenechogroup.com.

Travel Tech Holds First Start-Up & Investor Connect Webinar

July 23, 2025

Event highlighted Travel Tech Advocate Member Start-Ups Wednesday, July 23, 2025 — Yesterday, the Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and protecting the travel technology industry, hosted its first Start-Up & Investor Connect Webinar, bringing together pre-seed and seed-level travel tech start-ups with five angel investors. The hour-long event was […]