IOWA (October 16, 2015) - Congressman David Young (IA-3) met with employees today at the Renaissance Savery Hotel to learn from hotel employees the impact the hospitality industry has on job growth.
The Heart of the House hotel tour hosted by AH&LA was led by hotel General Manager Mark Herron. Located in the heart of downtown Des Moines, a tour of the Renaissance Savery Hotel provided Congressman Young the ability to see first-hand the benefits the hotel industry provides to the community as well as learn from the dedicated and hardworking staff on what it really means to be a part of this industry.
"The behind-the-scenes operations at hotels are really impressive, a ton of hard work goes into making these places go," said Congressman Young. "I really enjoyed hearing the stories from these hardworking Iowans and witnessing what they do. Big thanks to AH&LA for the opportunity and their efforts to make this visit possible."
"Showing Congressman Young our hotel with its hardworking employees and long history was such a special opportunity not only for me, but for the staff," said General Manager Mark Herron. "This industry is all about people, from our guests to the people working for our guests. We appreciate the Congressman's efforts at helping our industry grow and continue to build jobs and support the Iowan economy."
Hotels in Iowa are a strong contributor to the economy with 5.4 percent of all jobs in the state directly or indirectly related to the lodging industry. The Iowa lodging industry generates $466 million in tax revenue for state and local governments. Many of Iowa's lodging properties are small businesses, an economic segment responsible for about half (49.3%) of the jobs in the state.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), works with state associations to engage with members of Congress on the Heart of the House hotel tours, which provide an in-depth look at the career opportunities available as well as the economic impact the lodging industry has on the local, state and national economies.