PRESS RELEASE

May 19, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact:
Heather Epkins
202.408.2172
Cathy Keefe
202.408.2183

SENATOR MCCAIN MEETS WITH TRAVEL LEADERS, PROMINENT MAYORS TO DISCUSS CRITICAL CHALLENGES IN DOMESTIC, INTERNATIONAL INBOUND TRAVEL

Travel Promotion, International Entry Process and Deteriorating
Air Travel System Dominate Agenda

Chicago – Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for President, today met with travel industry leaders and prominent mayors to discuss the most critical issues in the domestic and international inbound travel process.  The discussion concentrated on the value of travel promotion to attract international visitors, inefficiencies in the entry process for international travelers and growing concern over the deteriorating domestic air travel process. 

“Public dissatisfaction with America’s air travel system is growing,” said Jonathan M. Tisch, Chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels and Chairman of the Travel Business Roundtable.  “In addition, overseas visitors, who are frustrated with cumbersome visa and entry procedures, are choosing to go elsewhere.  The decline in overseas travel comes at a great cost to the United States, totaling $150 billion in lost spending and 250,000 lost American jobs.  Travel is critically important to the American economy and must be a top priority for whoever may be the next president of the United States.”

In a 2007 survey of likely primary voters in Florida and South Carolina, a majority of both Democrats and Republicans said “government could do far more” to improve the travel process.  In light of voter concerns, a decline in overseas travel to the United States since 9/11 and growing evidence that the air travel process is discouraging business and leisure travel, the Travel Business Roundtable and Travel Industry Association urged each of the presidential candidates to demonstrate their commitment to enhancing the travel experience.  Senator McCain is the first candidate to respond to voter and industry concerns.

“As the travel process becomes more difficult, America’s economy and image suffers,” said Roger Dow, President and CEO of the Travel Industry Association (TIA).  “We need presidential leadership to address the most critical issues in the deteriorating travel process.”

The meeting, convened by the Travel Business Roundtable, a strategic partner to the TIA, comes just weeks after the organizations called on the three major presidential candidates to issue detailed plans to improve the air travel process during their first term in office.

Participants in today’s meeting included:

Jonathan Tisch, Chairman and CEO, Loews Hotels and Chairman, Travel Business Roundtable
Steven Rudnitsky, President and CEO, Wyndham Hotel Group
Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Chairman, Carlson
Michael Kaufman, Co-President, Enovo Restaurant Ventures LLC and Chairman,
            National Restaurant Association
Dick Rivera, Principal, Rubicon Enterprises LLC and Immediate Past Chairman, National 
Restaurant Association
Mayor Richard Daley, City of Chicago and Past President, U.S. Conference of Mayors
Mayor Manuel Diaz, City of Miami and Vice President, U.S. Conference of Mayors
Mayor Mufi Hannemann, City and County of Honolulu and Chair, U.S. Conference of Mayors
Standing Committee on Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment and Sports
Roger Dow, President and CEO, Travel Industry Association
Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO, National Restaurant Association
Tom Cochran, Executive Director and CEO, U.S. Conference of Mayors

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The Travel Industry Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the $740 billion travel industry. TIA’s mission is to promote and facilitate increased travel to and within the United States. TIA is proud to be a partner in travel with American Express. For more information, visit www.tia.org.

The Travel Business Roundtable (TBR), a strategic partner to the Travel Industry Association, is a CEO-based organization whose mission is to educate public officials and policymakers about the important economic, social and diplomatic contributions of the travel and tourism industry. For more information, visit www.tbr.org.

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