It was a good day in Florida on the Online Travel Companies front.
The Florida House Finance and Tax Committee rejected HB 493. The bill
that favored online travel companies and others who provide similar
services, while placing Florida assembly venues, hoteliers and the
Florida citizens they employ at a disadvantage, was defeated.
According
to the Capitol Press Corps, “The issue has pitted local governments,
online booking agents and hotel owners against each other for years.” It
also said, “Local government officials say they’re being shorted on
their ‘bed taxes’ because online companies like Expedia and Orbitz pay
local tourist development taxes on the rate they pay hotels and not on
the full price they charge customers.”
“While the news is
good, IAVM members in Florida will need to actively review the
legislation as the committee members want to revisit the issue,” said
Turner Madden, IAVM’s Outside General Counsel.
Madden
further encouraged Florida IAVM members to thank those members of the
committee that voted against the bill, to shore up our position in the
event the committee does revisit the issue. Florida members may visit
the Florida State Legislature page to contact state representatives: http://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/Find.