Welcome to Travel Tech's Passport Newsletter! Passport publishes every Wednesday to inform industry leaders about current and emerging public policy issues facing the travel tech industry.

In addition to the latest about Travel Tech and its advocacy efforts, Passport includes a curated news digest of the top stories at the intersection of travel, technology, and public policy.

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September 30, 2026

Association Updates

Travel Tech Urges FTC to Target Deceptive Personalized Pricing While Preserving Competitive Travel Shopping Tools

Travel Tech submitted comments to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on the agency’s proposed Enforcement Policy Statement on Personalized Pricing, supporting the FTC’s efforts to address unfair or deceptive uses of consumers’ personal data to set individualized prices. 

In its comments, Travel Tech encouraged the FTC to focus its enforcement efforts on situations where companies use personal information to determine what a specific consumer is willing to pay and then adjust prices accordingly without appropriate transparency or consumer protections. LEARN MORE

Discover Emerging Opportunities in Travel Technology at the Start-Up Summit

Join investors, founders, and industry leaders for live start-up pitches, curated networking, and conversations focused on the trends and technologies influencing the future of travel.

Meet innovative founders, discover emerging travel technology companies, and build relationships with investors and industry leaders. Register today to be part of the Start-Up Summit. REGISTER NOW

Travel Tech Releases 2026 Election Guides

With less than six weeks until Election Day, Travel Tech released its 2026 Election Guides, offering travel technology companies insight into the federal and state elections and policy issues that could shape the industry in 2027.

The guides examine key legislative and regulatory issues affecting travel technology companies, including artificial intelligence, data privacy, pricing, competition, taxation, travel distribution and consumer protection. They also identify elections to watch and races that could influence the policy environment for the travel industry. GET A FREE COPY

Top Stories at the Intersection of Travel, Tech, and Public Policy 

Huffines Moves to End Tax on Online Marketplace Fees

Texas Scorecard, Brandon Waltens

September 30, 2026

Comptroller Don Huffines is moving to eliminate a tax on fees charged by online marketplaces and app-based services. Huffines signed an executive order directing the Comptroller’s office to remove marketplace and platform fees from the definition of taxable data processing services. The tax treatment affects fees paid to platforms used for online shopping, food and grocery delivery, short-term rentals, ride-sharing, pet care, and other services.

IPWatchdog, Eileen McDermott

September 28, 2026

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is considering whether to impose new requirements on social-media companies, search engines and other online platforms whose advertising systems help impersonation scams reach consumers.

Reuters, Jody Godoy

September 25, 2026

US Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson said on Friday he would resist describing AI agents as ​autonomous actors that "break loose" with "wills and desires of their own," suggesting the developers who instruct agents would be the ones liable ‌for harm.

WSJ, Heidi Mitchell

August 26, 2026

A growing body of research suggests travel is more than a luxury or an escape. It may be a legitimate tool for improving mental health, one whose effects scientists are only beginning to understand.