If You Want To Succeed, You Need To Get Involved

June 2004
Dale J. Venturini
President/CEO, Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association

"We in America do not have Government by the majority. We have Government by the majority who participate." —Thomas Jefferson

The idea that this quote articulates is quite simple. To make a difference, you have to make your voice heard. It’s a key principle in government, and in the business world, it’s no different. If you want to protect your business and succeed in the hospitality industry, you need to get involved.

During the current legislative session, the hospitality and tourism industry has been under assault from several fronts. Over the past few months, several critical issues have gone before the legislature; issues that could severely impact the vitality of our industry. The proposed 1% Hotel Tax and the passed 1% Meals and Beverage Tax makes Rhode Island’s hospitality-related taxes the highest in New England, forcing stiffer competition with neighboring states. While critically important, the newly-enacted fire safety laws have created financial hardships on businesses, particularly for the small family-run businesses that are the cornerstone of the industry. Perhaps the biggest obstacle the industry faces today is the proposed Harrah’s casino, which has the potential to destroy local competition and completely change the business landscape in Rhode Island.

The Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association has been hard at work protecting the interests of the hospitality and tourism industry, working closely with legislators to support bills that are valuable to the industry, and opposing bills that would prove detrimental to restaurants, hotels and convention spaces. For more than 20 years, RIHTA has been the voice for the hospitality and tourism industry, and has become a fighting force on the issues that affect our members, oftentimes overcoming strong opposition.

But we can’t do it alone.

While there is a core group of members who always make time, I have heard from several state legislators that they haven’t received many calls from hospitality businesses in regard to the crucial issues that we are currently facing. Hospitality owners, managers and workers need to be active in the economic and social issues that could hinder the growth of our industry. To affect change, you must get involved in the political process. One personal letter, one personal story does more than 100 ‘form letter’ emails they might receive from our opponents.

Whatever the issue may be, working together as a team and continually educating our legislators on the issues and concerns of the hospitality industry are the only ways we can ensure the continued success and growth of our industry. It is imperative that members of the hospitality industry have a common voice, the voice from the state’s largest growth industry—a voice that deserves to be heard.

We have made good progress this year; however, there are still many tough issues to face. Understanding the legislative process can be daunting. For many, it is nearly impossible to be aware of all the legislation entered for consideration that would affect their business. RIHTA is committed to providing the tools and resources needed to help the industry respond effectively to legislation that could affect individual businesses and the hospitality and tourism industry as a whole. For more information on how you can take a more active role in molding the policy issues facing our industry, call RIHTA at (401) 223-1120.