The General Services Administration (GSA) has released increased per diem rates for fiscal year 2025. The per diem guidelines govern reimbursement for federal employees’ lodging and meals expenses for official government travel.
Starting Oct. 1, the standard daily lodging allowance for most of the continental U.S. will increase by $3 to $110 per day, an increase estimated to be worth approximately $100 million to the hotel industry. The standard meals and incidental expenses allowance will increase by $9 to $68 per day, the first increase for this expense category in three years.
“These increases are an important victory for AHLA, which has made fair per diem rates a perennial federal advocacy priority on behalf of our members,” said Kevin Carey, interim president/CEO, AHLA. “Government travel is a vital source of revenue for hotels, and it’s critically important that the federal government’s per diem rates reflect market conditions and take into account the economic realities hotels are facing, including the lingering effects of inflation and the nationwide workforce shortage. We appreciate the work done on this issue by GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan and the Biden administration.”
