and last updated 2021-04-08 16:45:16-04
NORFOLK, Va. - The tourism and hospitality industry brought in about $27 billion but lost about $10 billion of that last year during the pandemic, according to estimates from the Virginia Restaurant Lodging and Travel Association. That s a huge impact on an industry that is very slow to recovery, said Eric Terry, the group s president.
Now, the group has written a letter to state lawmakers in order to ensure the industry receives from funding from the recently passed American Rescue Plan. The law tells states to make sure impacted industries get some of the relief.
A spokesman for Del. Luke Torian, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said the state is still waiting from guidelines from the federal government before being able to offer a response to the letter.
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President Joe Biden signs the American Rescue Plan
Virginia and its local governments have more than rescue in mind as they await the first installment of $6.8 billion in federal to end the COVID-19 pandemic, rebuild a damaged economy and bring daily life back to a new definition of normal.
The state and localities see a chance to potentially achieve longstanding goals - from making broadband internet service available and affordable across Virginia to beginning to repair and replace obsolete public school buildings - but only if they work together to coordinate spending federal money that is coming from multiple directions.
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