Business View Civil & Municipal | Volme 3, Issue 2

13 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 IOWA HOTEL & LODGING ASSOCIATION (IHLA) LAUNCHED TO ADVOCATE FOR INDUSTRY Industry Advocacy Group to Promote Human Trafficking Prevention Compliance Training D ES MOINES, Iowa –A group of Iowa hospitality leaders announced the formation of the Iowa Hotel & Lodging Association (IHLA). The newly incorporated non-profit trade association officially launched January 20, 2022. The group is actively building membership and has started to engage in initiatives which fulfill its mission to protect, promote, educate and advocate on behalf of the states 700+ hotels and lodging establishments. In fact, data from the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the national partner of the newly formed IHLA, estimates that Iowa’s hotels lost nearly 10,000 jobs and $420 million in room revenue alone. Nearly 2,000 pre-pandemic hotel jobs have yet to return, showing a 9% decline in industry employment in the state. In addition to working towards recovery- friendly legislation and a better state regulatory OPENING L INES