Dear AHLA and HotelsACT Members,
I’m proud to share with you that this morning, the General Services Administration (GSA) announced the new FY2023 per diem rates for government travel in the Continental United States (CONUS). GSA increased the standard CONUS per diem rate and has set all Non-Standard Area (NSA) rates at or above the FY2022 rates. These rates are available at the GSA website now.
We are extremely grateful to the GSA for working with AHLA and recognizing the lingering, and disparate, impact that the pandemic has had on hotels across the country and the importance of a flexible approach to setting per diem rates for FY23. Without this novel action, hotels across the country faced depressed, pandemic-era rates for federal travelers.
The FY2023 CONUS per diem rate is $157:
- $98 lodging (increased from $96)
- $59 meals (unchanged)
How we got here: Thanks to the efforts of AHLA members and State Associations across the country, we were able to make a clear and convincing argument on why setting a rate floor and allowing increases where appropriate was sound policy and critical to reinvigorating government travel as well as the hotel industry’s continued recovery.
Our team worked closely with GSA, the Biden Administration, and a bipartisan and bicameral group of legislators. AHLA thanks Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Reps. Bill Posey (FL-8) and Charlie Crist (FL-13) for their federal legislation (S.2160, H.R. 2104) which would have ensured fair and equitable per diem rates for FY23.
- Why it matters: Government travel is an integral part of the hotel industry, supporting tens of thousands of jobs, and billions in travel spending that benefits communities across the country. The federal per diem rates are also often used as a guide by other corporations and businesses in setting their own travel standards.
The bottom line: This is extremely welcome news for the hospitality industry as our recovery continues. By increasing the standard rate and setting a floor at pre-pandemic rates for NSAs, GSA has ensured fair increases in markets that warrant them while also avoiding hurting hotels in markets that have taken longer to recover.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Chip Rogers