NTA Urges Bush Administration to Focus on Tourism

May 6, 2003

NTA Urges Bush Administration to Focus on Tourism
In an effort to boost the struggling tourism industry, the NTA Board of Directors sent a letter to President Bush this week urging his administration to encourage Americans to travel.

The letter, dated May 5, stresses that "Americans need to travel again and experience the many and varied natural and historical sites our country has to offer."

NTA thanks members for everything you do at a grassroots level to promote travel in your community. Below is the text of the letter:

May 5, 2003

The Hon. George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20500

The National Tour Association is an organization of nearly 4,000 tourism professionals focused on the development and promotion of tour operator packaged travel.

The American travel industry is in distress. The economy, heightened security advisory levels, the war in Iraq and SARS-related anxiety have all combined to depress America’s travel industry, the nation’s largest services export industry, responsible for more than $555 billion in gross receipts in 2001.

Once-bustling airports are seeing decreased passenger traffic, hotels have low occupancy rates not seen for more than 10 years, and more than 500,000 travel and tourism industry related jobs have been lost since Sept. 11, 2001.

Americans need to travel again and experience the many and varied natural and historical sites our country has to offer.

We, the Board of Directors of the National Tour Association, ask you to encourage Americans to travel and experience the sites, sounds and cultures that comprise the fabric of this great land. In 1991, your mother showed support for the travel industry by taking a commercial flight during a period of industry distress and your father recorded public service announcements on behalf of the industry. And your public service announcements on behalf of the industry immediately following Sept. 11, 2001 were appreciated.

We respectfully ask you to once again seek out some means for showing your support of the American travel and tourism industry.