Today is World Tourism Day celebrating the 1.2 billion travelers each year and the industry that contributes to the three key dimensions of sustainable development—economic, social, and environmental.
Selling Travel to Consumers—Laws and Steps You Need to Consider
If you sell travel to consumers in one of the states that has Seller of Travel laws, you may be required to register your company, manage your client funds through a trust account, provide evidence of a bond, and/or pay an annual fee. Among the states that have these requirements are two large consumer markets:... Continue Reading →
President Trump Announces Increased Regulations for Doing Business in Cuba
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” - Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad Earlier today, President Trump announced his intent to... Continue Reading →
Why Implementation of the Fair Labor Standards Act New Overtime Regulations Was Halted
Days before the “Final Rule” from the US Department of Labor that would have dramatically altered the application of federal overtime wage law across the country was to become effective, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a nationwide preliminary injunction halting its implementation. Nevada v. U.S. Department of Labor, Dist.... Continue Reading →
Increasing Minimum Wages Across the West Coast…and Elsewhere
First seen on the American Bar Association website. Within an environment in which wage and hour legal actions have increased fourfold since 1997, according to The 2015 Employment Law Guide 125 (Dorsey & Whitney LLP 2015), progressive employment values are receiving increasing support and becoming codified in municipal and state laws. As part of a... Continue Reading →
Mona McPhee at 2016 Adventure Travel World Summit in Alaska
Mona McPhee attends the 2016 Adventure Travel World Summit in Anchorage, Alaska where Adventure Travel Conservation Fund is announced. About the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund: "The Adventure Travel Conservation Fund (ATCF) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to conserving the future of travel for generations to come. To achieve this ambitious objective, the ATCF will provide... Continue Reading →
A Simple Clause Could Save Your Company Thousands of Dollars
This article was originally posted on March 26, 2014. One of the simplest ways to avoid a costly mistake is to include a favorable jurisdiction, venue, and governing law clause in your Booking Terms & Conditions. Imagine you are a tour operator whose office is located in Denver, Colorado and you sell a tour to... Continue Reading →
Are You at Risk of Unexpected Penalties, Criminal Charges, or Loss of Business?
This article was originally posted on March 19, 2014. California, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, and Washington require tour operators and agents to register, pay annual fees, and provide different types of financial security when sales are offered to residents of those states regardless of where the operator is located (including non-U.S. based companies). These Seller of Travel... Continue Reading →
Potential B&O Tax to Quintuple for Washington Tour Operators
Washington House Democrats have released their plan for funding the “Education Workforce Recruitment & Retention Funding Package,” and it eliminates the preferential Business & Occupation tax rate for travel agents and tour operators. Click here for the Washington House Democrat’s release on what HB 2996 will contain. The current B&O tax rate for Travel Agents... Continue Reading →