ADVOCACY WORK
CalTravel’s experienced lobbyists work to increase the travel industry’s visibility at the state level while generating support for policies that protect and advance its interests. Through advocacy to the California Legislature, CalTravel addresses a host of issues that directly and indirectly affect our industry.
Because we maintain strong relationships with state lawmakers, we are at the forefront of these conversations and can influence bills as they make their way through the Legislature.
ADVOCACY PRIORITIES
Support legislation that would:
increase California’s competitiveness as a tourism destination
protect the travel and tourism industry from unnecessary costs of doing business
promote an equal playing field for fair competition in a rapidly changing industry
Oppose legislation that would:
impede visitation
negatively impact visitor spending
unfairly burden tourism related businesses
2023-24 ADVOCACY HIGHLIGHTS
Helped secure $15 million allocation in the state budget for Visit California’s marketing efforts, following $95 million in 2022
Attended 19 meet-and-greets with newly elected legislators
Brought back in-person Tourism Advocacy Day where 95 members met with 62 legislators and staff
Screened and/or read 2,600+ bills to determine impacts on industry; tracked 125 bills, and positioned on 30 bills
Served as lead witness on several bills and gave expert testimony in multiple committees
Successfully put a stop to SB 584 (Limon): Short-Term Rental Tax in 2023 by executing opposition strategy and coordinating grassroots outreach
Successfully negotiated amendments on several bills:
AB 1382 (Quirk-Silva): State-designated cultural districts
AB 537 (Berman): Short-term lodging: advertising: rates & SB 683 (Glazer): Hotels and short-term rentals: advertised rates: mandatory fees
SB 447 (Atkins): GO-Biz
SB 478 (Dodd): Consumers Legal Remedies Act
SB 644 (Glazer): Hotels and Short-Term Rentals
SB 723 (Durazo): Employment: rehiring and retention: displaced workers
ADVOCACY PROCESS
ADVOCACY DECISIONS ROADMAP
We often get asked how we decide whether or not to engage on certain policy issues. The answer is: the issue must meet the criteria of our Advocacy Decisions Roadmap. If you have an issue you’d like us to tackle, please reference our roadmap to see if it qualifies for engagement.
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COMMITTEE
The GRC promotes the mission of CalTravel through engagement in the public policy development process on behalf of its membership. The Committee sets legislative priorities, reviews policy issues, and recommends positions on legislation relevant to its mission.
“The hospitality industry ranks in the top industries driving the California economy. We need a voice at the table with our elected officials. CalTravel provides the opportunity to make our voices heard.”