Blunt unveils bipartisan bill to study pandemic’s impact on travel, tourism

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) recently introduced a bipartisan bill that would determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nation’s travel and tourism industry and recommend policy changes designed to help the industry recover.

“The coronavirus pandemic has been particularly devastating for hardworking Missourians whose livelihoods depend on the travel, tourism and hospitality industries,” Sen. Blunt said on Oct. 23. “Having a full understanding of the pandemic’s impact on jobs and the economy will help us ensure we have the right policies in place to support a full recovery in this critical sector.” 

Sen. Blunt is the original cosponsor of the Protecting Tourism in the United States Act, S. 4847, with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). The lawmakers are co-chairs of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus.

Sen. Blunt said the bill is “especially important for a state like ours with all of our incredible parks, attractions, restaurants, and hotels that make Missouri a top travel destination.”

If enacted, S. 4847 would direct the U.S. Commerce Department, in consultation with the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board and the heads of specific federal agencies, to study the pandemic’s effects on different sectors of the travel and tourism industry and then to complete an interim study within three months of the bill’s enactment, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Blunt’s office.

The legislation also would require the Commerce Department to consult with a variety of travel and tourism sector stakeholders to provide policy recommendations for promoting and assisting the industry, the summary says.

The same-named companion bill, H.R. 8122, introduced in August by U.S. Reps. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Kathy Castor (D-FL), last month received approval from the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.