The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) issued a letter to U.S. Representatives and Senators asking for help in several areas of the hotel industry.

AHLA is asking for an extension of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), as well as creating certain facilities for debt services and passing tax reforms to help hotels and their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our industry was among the first impacted by the pandemic and will be one of the last to recover. We are a major economic driver, supporting millions of jobs and generating billions in tax revenue," Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the AHLA said in a news release. "Getting our economy back on track starts with supporting the hotel industry and tourism in general. We need Congress to continue to prioritize the industries and employees most affected by the crisis, so that help is directed to the businesses that need it most."

A recent survey found that 70 percent of Americans support Congress passing another stimulus package for industries negatively affected by the coronavirus and 63 percent support efforts to force banks to offer debt relief or forbearance regarding commercial hotel mortgages.

The survey also found that 57 percent of Americans support restoring business entertainment expense deduction to promote business travel.

“With a presence in every congressional district in America, hotels are central to getting our economy back on track and supporting millions of jobs," Rogers said in the news release. "Americans overwhelmingly support efforts by Congress to provide the hotel industry with additional support so that we can keep our doors open and bring back our employees."

The letter notes that the hotel industry is willing to work with lawmakers to help stabilize the economy and support hospitality employees affected by the pandemic.

Hotels Together, a hospitality industry advocacy group, has been working on and supporting several initiatives throughout the pandemic to help the tourism industry, including the Fairness in Lending Standards and the Workplace Recovery Act.