Since its inception, WVHTA has successfully supported hundreds of legislative initiatives for the betterment of the hospitality and travel industry, while at the same time successfully opposing legislation that would be detrimental.
Among those efforts:
- Stopped wine & liquor taxes.
- Stopped Amusement/Recreation Tax.
- Stopping detrimental taxes on the tourism industry.
- Increased the overall budget of the WV Office of Tourism, the advertising line item which directly promotes and markets West Virginia’s tourism.
- Creation of the WV Tourism Commission.
- Worked & supported new “Tourism and the WV Economy” Study.
- Worked Anti-Degradation for Economic Development.
- Worked requirements for general and liquor liability insurance on tourism businesses.
- Created Study for Workforce Tourism Development and Small Tourism Business Incentives.
- Worked and supported Tourism Development & Expansion Projects.
- Worked Film Industry Incentives.
- Stopped Air BNB voluntary collection agreement.
- Stopped 30 day exemptions for hotel/motel taxes.
- Worked Minimum Wage legislation.
- Worked Air Service Incentives
- Worked Whitewater Study for Southern WV.
- Worked water use regulations/surveys, etc. on tourism related businesses.
- Worked Education and Economic Development Initiatives.
- Creation of the WV HEAT Office and maintaining that budget.
- Placed WV HEAT Budget in Dept. of Education.
- Implemented new emergency medical services for “large tourism influx” counties.
- FDA Food Code Implementation.