Plea for help: Vermont innkeepers meet with Rep. Welch Even with new aid, hospitality businesses fear long wait for return to normalcy Share Updated: 7:19 PM EST Jan 11, 2021 Even with new aid, hospitality businesses fear long wait for return to normalcy Share Updated: 7:19 PM EST Jan 11, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript THEY NEED WHATEVEr ReLIeF THEY CAN GET. HOTEL VERMONT THEY'RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS AT HOTEL VERMONT INTERIOR LOBBY EMPTY BUT WITH STATE QUARANTINE AND TRAVEL RULES IN PLACE, FEW PEOPLE ARE COMING. TWO SHOT FOR THEIR 125 ROOMS, AND THE GENERAL MANAGER TOLD US, EXACTLY TWO GUESTS LAST NIGHT. HANS VAN WEES/GEN'L MANAGER, HOTEL VERMONT áááá 513 THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT A V SHAPED RECOVERY. WE THINK THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY ACROSS THE INDUSTRY, HE HAS LOTS OF COMPANY: JOSH ECKLER/KILLINGTON TRAILSIDE INN ááááá 7:25 LIKE WE'RE IN KILLINGTON. RIGHT? WE'D NORMALLY BE BOOKED THIS WEEKEND. WE'RE DOING MAYBE 15% OF WHAT WE NORMALLY DO. OH GOD. YEAH. 7:32 GRID MEMBERS OF THE NEWLY FORMED VERMONT LODGING ASSOCIATION MEETING MONDAY WITH CONGRESSMAN PETER WELCH - TO EXPLAIN THE HOLE THEY'RE NOW IN. SOME INNKEEPERS SAID THEY THEY ALSO HAVE MORTGAGES AND PROPERTY TAX BILLS COMING DUE. AND WORRY ABOUT A SPIKE IN UNEMPLOYMENT PREMIUMS, TOO. WELCH: 12:10 I'VE TAKEN THE POSITION THAT THE EXPENSES EVERYONE'S HAD TO INCUR TO COMPLY WITH COVID HEALTH REQUIREMENTS BE BORNE BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 12:19 THE CONGRESSMAN NOTED THIS WAS U.S. CAPITOL EXTERIOR THE NEW PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM - PART OF THE RELIEF PACKAGE APPROVED BY CONGRESS - THAT HELPS SMALL BUSINESSES PAY EMPLOYEES. OTHERS ASKED WHEN THE CANADA BORDER MIGHT OPEN? WELCH COULDN'T SAY. OR WHEN NORTHEAST GOVERNORS MIGHT EASING UP ON TRAVEL RULES. áááá ECKLER. 756 I'M NOT REGIONAL TRAVEL GUIDELINES LIKE, FOR NEW ENGLAND? 804 OTHER HOTEL PIX LOOKING FOR HOPE IN AN INDUSTRY WHERE BIG DOLLAR BOOKINGS LIKE CONFERENCES AND WEDDINGS, ARE MADE WELL IN ADVANCE. HOTELS #3: KIM DONAHUE/THE INN AT THE ROUND BARN áááááá 56 SO WHILE OTHER PARTS OF THE ECONOMY WILL OPEN UP AND THEIR CASH FLOW IMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO REMEDY ITSELF, OURS WILL NOT." SWIZZLE HOTEL 1 : HANS: 1:15 AS WE GO FORWARD WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO NEED MORE HELP AND MORE RELIEF 1:20 HANS TOLD US WITH THE VACCINE STARTING TO ROLL OUT HE HAS THE FEELING THAT BY SUMMER SOME BUSINESS WILL PICK UP. AND BY FALL GET TO 70% OF WHAT WE'D NORMALLY DO. MEANTIME, HE HAD