St. Louis tourism official: NAACP advisory hurting hotels

ST. LOUIS (AP) - The leader of the St. Louis tourism and convention agency says hotels are losing meetings because of a travel advisory issued by the NAACP over concerns about a state law that rolls back discrimination protections for workers.

Explore St. Louis President Kitty Ratcliffe said in a statement Monday that the agency has been told by several hotels that they've lost meeting groups that were in the midst of contract negotiations.

But the agency released no details, saying it did not have permission from hotels or groups to release specifics about lost meetings.

The advisory was issued in July. It cites a new state law that makes it more difficult to sue for housing or employment discrimination.

A spokesman the convention and travel agency for Kansas City, Missouri, says he's unaware of any lost business due to the advisory.