| |
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Congressional And Industry Leaders Call On The Bush Administration
To Create A Travel And Tourism Advisory Council
America Leaves Money on the Table That a National Effort
Would Capture
WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 1, 2001 -- With the United
States ranking behind 130 countries in national efforts to
promote travel and tourism, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators
and Congressmen united today with the Travel Business Roundtable
to recommend that the Bush Administration establish a presidential
advisory council on travel and tourism. The Travel Business
Roundtable (TBR) also released a set of 18 policy recommendations
for the administration and the 107th Congress in a document
called Travel and Tourism: America's Passport to Success in
the 21st Century.
At a press conference held today on Capitol Hill, TBR members
were joined by Senators Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Representatives
Sam Farr, D-Calif., Mark Foley, R-Fla., and John Tanner, D-Tenn.,
in asking President Bush to establish the council by executive
order.
The travel and tourism sector, America's second largest service
export with a $14 billion annual trade surplus, represents
a shining star in today's business environment and one of
the country's best opportunities for reducing the trade deficit.
However, the industry, covering more than 18 million jobs
with an annual impact of $582 billion, lacks the national
coordination necessary to maximize its potential as an engine
for economic growth.
"As the unsung hero of the U.S. economy, travel and
tourism has generated more than 56.7 million jobs, $3.7 trillion
in expenditures, $622 billion in federal, state, and local
taxes, and $157 billion in trade surpluses over the last eight
years," said Jonathan M. Tisch, Chairman and CEO of Loews
Hotels and TBR Chairman. "Given the continued growth
and expansion of the travel and tourism industry, the time
is right to establish a presidential advisory council to foster
policy development and coordination within the federal government."
"The establishment of a presidential advisory council
would send a strong signal that the new administration recognizes
the US travel and tourism industry's powerful economic contributions
and future growth potential," said Jonathan S. Linen,
Vice Chairman of American Express Company. "It would
also underscore that the administration is committed to maximizing
the industry's long-term expansion by working in partnership
with the private sector to strategically create a public policy
environment that promotes and strengthens tourism in the US."
"As the largest private sector employer with 11.3 million
employees, the restaurant industry is the cornerstone of the
economy. The success of restaurants and the entire travel
and tourism industry go hand in hand, and this success has
created a segment of the economy that is absolutely essential
to our nation," said Steven C. Anderson, president and
CEO of the National Restaurant Association and TBR Treasurer.
About TBR
The Travel Business Roundtable is a coalition of more
than 60 CEO’s, representing all sectors of the travel
and tourism industry. In addition to the major airlines, car
rental companies, travel management agencies, hotel chains,
TBR’s membership roster includes companies such as The
Coca-Cola Company, USA Today, the Taubman Company,
and the International Council of Shopping Centers. Launched
in 1995, TBR's mission centers on educating policymakers —
on the national and state levels — about the importance
of the industry to the nation's economy. Visit www.tbr.org
to learn more about the Travel Business Roundtable.
back to top
ABOUT TBR
| CHAIRMAN'S CORNER |
LEGISLATIVE ACTION CENTER |
NEWSROOM | MEMBERS
|
|
