
NTA Applauds Appointment of Jon Porter as Co-Chair of the U.S. Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus
February 1, 2007
NTA Applauds Appointment of Jon Porter as Co-Chair of the U.S. Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus
Feb. 1, 2007 – The National Tour Association applauds the appointment of Jon Porter, R-Nev., as co-chair of the U.S. Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus. The caucus exists to recognize the economic importance of travel and tourism and the need for a congressional advocacy organization to support the industry in Congress.
"The selection of Porter as a co-chair is good news for all NTA members," said NTA Legislative Counsel Jim Santini. "The Nevada Congressman is a proven champion of both the tourism industry and NTA members."
Porter joins Representative Sam Farr, D-Calif., as co-chair of the CTTC. Farr has co-chaired the caucus since 1997. Together, they have pledged to promote issues important to the travel and tourism industry and to educate members of Congress about these issues.
"This is a vital stepping stone to the creation of a cabinet-level tourism position within the executive branch of the U.S. federal government," said Santini. "NTA believes the secretary of tourism would create the strategic leadership to reverse the distressing decline in international visitors over the last 15 years. Now a revitalized CTTC under the Farr/Porter leadership has the ability to lay the legislative foundation for a secretary of tourism."
Santini was a founder and the first secretary/treasurer of the U.S. Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus in the House of Representatives in 1978. During his chairmanship, the Caucus became the largest Democrat/Republican Caucus organization in the House of Representatives with more than 280 members. Under his leadership, the Caucus led the legislative charge that produced the National Tourism Policy Act of 1981.
NTA and Congressman Porter have worked together closely in the past. At the urging of NTA and its allied associations, Porter introduced the "Local Government and Traveler Assistance Act of 2004." This legislation secured a tourism position in the Department of Homeland Security, which is currently held by Alfonso Martinez-Fonts.
The National Tour Association was established in 1951 as a unified voice to fight legislation in the newly formed packaged travel industry. Today, NTA’s government relations activities include monitoring security issues, as well as state and federal legislation and regulatory issues affecting the travel and tourism industry. NTA maintains full-time representation in Washington, D.C., to serve as the association’s voice on Capitol Hill. Additionally, NTA empowers its members to be advocates for the association on the local level, as well as to provide support for NTA’s positions on national priority issues through its Grassroots Action Network. For more information on NTA’s government relations activities, please visit http://www.nta.travel/ or call 800.682.8886.
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