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PRESS RELEASE
April 16, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Debra Kelman Loew
212-794-DKPR (3577)
Travel Business Roundtable And U.S. Chamber Of Commerce
Partner To Co-Host Historic Travel And Tourism Conference
Cabinet Secretaries, Senior Administration Officials,
Members Of Congress, And Mayors Join Industry Leaders To Revitalize
Struggling Industry
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a significant display of
unity and partnership, the Travel Business Roundtable (TBR)
and the US Chamber of Commerce co-hosted a two-day
summit from April 8-9 in Washington, DC to discuss ways to
help revitalize the travel and tourism industry.
Re-Igniting Growth in Travel and Tourism brought
together more than 200 CEO and senior level executives along
with three Cabinet Secretaries, Congressional leaders, mayors
from cities across the country, and other senior Administration
officials.
“This two day event marked a turning point for our industry
in many ways,” remarked Jonathan Tisch, Chairman of
TBR and Chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels. “Having
seven Administration officials and three highly regarded members
of Congress speak to a group of industry CEOs in less than
36 hours is evidence that the industry is finally being recognized
in Washington, DC as vital to our nation’s economic prosperity
and recovery.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, the keynote
speaker at the opening dinner reception, noted that travel
and tourism intersects with his department’s responsibilities
more than any other industry. He spoke about how the country
is working to protect our borders while also ensuring that
we continue to welcome international travelers. Alfonso
Martinez-Fonts, Special Assistant to the Secretary of Homeland
Security for the Private Sector, joined Secretary Ridge.
Steve Porter, President, the Americas, Six Continents Hotels
hosted the reception.
Also at the opening dinner, TBR presented Senator Ted
Stevens (R-AK), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations
Committee, with the Leadership in Tourism Award for
his support of the travel and tourism industry and for his
leadership in helping secure $50 million in federal funding
for international tourism promotion. " I applaud the
hard work of the travel and tourism industry; it is an important
component of our national economy. There are so many different
businesses - and in turn people - who are affected by a successful
tourism industry, and it makes sense to support these efforts,"
said Stevens.
Chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Travel and Tourism
Task Force, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin addressed the
challenges that local governments face when there is a decline
in travel and tourism, citing a loss of jobs and a decrease
in tax revenues that are needed to pay for critical city services
such as fire and police protection. "As tourism goes,
so goes the economic well-being of our communities,"
said Mayor Franklin in remarks at the conference. "We
cannot and will not leave it to chance."
Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans, who has been a
leading force in helping the industry work towards recovery
since the terrorist attacks, reinforced the Administration’s
understanding of how important the industry is to the nation.
“The travel and tourism industry helps to create wealth
and prosperity for the country. In many ways, you are also
public servants by creating jobs for our country.”
Also participating from the Department of Commerce were
Linda Conlin, Assistant Secretary for Trade Development and
Douglas Baker, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Service Industries,
Tourism and Finance.
Recognizing that travel and tourism can play an important
role in improving the world’s view of our country, Tucker
Eskew, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Global
Communications, Office of Global Communications for the White
House, addressed the conference. Discussing the challenge
of improving the nation’s image abroad as we look to
increase international tourism, Eskew said, “Through
continued cooperation, consistency and powerful communication,
we are confident that we will make a lot of strides."
With travel and tourism in all 50 states and all 435 congressional
districts, it is truly is a non-partisan issue. This was reflected
by the presence of congressional leaders from both political
parties. Senate Minority Whip Harry Reid (D-NV) reflected
on some of his own personal travel experiences, noting that
when guests fills out a hotel registration card, they are
not asked which political party they belong to. “Travel
transcends party lines. The Administration must understand
it is one of the driving forces of our nation's economy."
And House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) recognized
the impact of tourism on local economies as well as the national
economy, commenting on the increase in tourism in parts of
his district that are easily accessible by car, including
Branson and Springfield.
Immigration and visas are issues of great importance to the
industry and Maura Harty, Assistant Secretary for Consular
Affairs for the U.S. State Department, discussed new procedures
for issuing visas. And, closing the two-day event, Secretary
of the Interior Gail Norton spoke about the important
role that national parks play in the country’s tourism
industry.
Among the companies and organizations represented by their
CEO or senior executive were: American Express Company,
American Hotel & Lodging Association, American Resort
Development Association, Asian American Hotel Owners Association,
Carey International, Carlson Companies, Fairmont Hotels &
Resorts, FelCor Lodging Trust, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts,
Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union,
International Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus,
JetBlue Airways, National Hockey League, National Restaurant
Association, NYC & Company, Six Continents Hotels, Southwest
Airlines, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Universal Parks &
Resorts, and others.
In an overall effort to help the U.S. travel and tourism
industry, which had not yet recovered from the effects of
9/11 when the war with Iraq broke out, TBR concurrently released
its legislative recommendations to the 108th Congress and
the Bush Administration in a document titled, Travel &
Tourism, America’s Passport to Success. In keeping
with its mission to educate elected officials and policy makers
about the important economic and social contributions of the
industry, these policy items include several priorities. Among
them are:
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Restoring Confidence in American Travel and Tourism; |
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Promoting the American Brand Through International Marketing; |
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The Creation of a Presidential Advisory Council on Travel
and Tourism; and |
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Restoration of Business Meal and Entertainment and
Spousal Travel Tax Deduction |
A full copy of the report can be found on-line at www.tbr.org.
TBR also debuted a new video to help celebrate and promote
travel and tourism in the U.S. The award winning music group,
Lonestar, lent their #1-hit song, “What About Now,”
as the track for the music montage that includes images of
destinations and travel experiences from across the country.
The band, which spends most of its time on the road, also
recorded an introduction to the video noting that “every
trip you take contributes to the creation of jobs, the development
of communities, and the growth of businesses.” The video
will be shown by numerous travel related companies through
their in-house entertainment programming.
# # #
The Travel Business Roundtable (TBR) is a CEO-based
organization representing all sectors of the travel and tourism
industry. In addition to the major airlines, car rental companies,
travel management agencies, hotel chains, resorts and theme
parks, TBR's membership roster also includes such entities
as The Coca-Cola Company, USA Today, the National Football
League, and the International Council of Shopping Centers,
demonstrating the broad scope and diversity the industry represents.
In 2002, travel and tourism was the nation's third largest
retail industry generating $555 billion in travel expenditures
and $98.8 billion in local, state and federal taxes.
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