May 1st, 2003
By
Samantha Young
Las Vegas Review-Journal
WASHINGTON
-- A House chairman on Wednesday announced legislation creating a
presidential advisory council on tourism, a move that would boost the
industry's visibility in hopes of luring back high-paying international
travelers to the United States.
Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., said travel and
tourism should always have the ear of the president because they account for
one in seven U.S. jobs.
Stearns said he wanted to build on a Commerce
Department board created last year to spend $50 million to promote
America overseas.
"The international tourist provides a much bigger
bang for the buck," Stearns said.
Stearns is chairman of the House commerce, trade
and consumer protection subcommittee. He announced his bill at a hearing he led
on the health of the tourism industry, and it was endorsed by a variety of
officials who testified on the industry's continuing recession.
"This is what we're all pushing for so the CEOs
of the industry can advise the government where to go," said William Edwards,
vice president of Hilton Hotels Corp.
Foreigners are visiting America
less and airline, restaurant, hotel, theme parks, and casinos are generating
lower revenues, forcing many to lay off workers and fight bankruptcy, industry
officials testified.
Michael Sternberg, a Washington,
D.C., restaurant owner, said the industry never has recovered from the Sept.
11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"Today, this very same industry faces yet another
wave of challenges. The uncertainty of the nation's economy, the war in Iraq,
heightened concerns about possible terrorist threats on U.S. soil and
international health threats, all have slowed or reversed any recovery that was
occurring in the travel and tourism industry," Sternberg said.
Last year, international arrivals were down 7
percent and foreign visitors are expected to stay away because of added fears
from the severe acute respiratory syndrome virus. Nevada's
casinos for the first year since 1981 reported a revenue decrease last year,
according to Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev. Las Vegas tourism officials have cited
lower room occupancy rates, and fewer bookings at restaurants and shows.
Porter who submitted testimony supporting the
council, said Nevada's foreign advertising would be boosted by a
national pitch overseas.
"Most every state in the union is impacted by
tourism," Porter said. "September 11th really put into perspective that we
don't have a unified effort. It literally put Nevada out of
business for several months."
The Nevada Commission on Tourism is targeting
Japanese and Chinese visitors but would like help from the federal government.
"There's no doubt the U.S. needs to
have a stronger and ongoing marketing presence overseas," said Chris Chrystal,
spokeswoman for the Nevada Commission on Tourism. "There are huge markets out
there that are undeveloped and underutilized."
At the hearing, Democrats chastised Republicans
for not addressing the economy, saying tourism would pick up if Americans had
jobs and more money in their pocket.
"Travel and tourism is just one aspect of the
downturned economy," said Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill. "The negative impact the
presidential tax policy has had on the economy includes the industry we're
focusing on today."
Schakowsky also criticized Republicans for
tarnishing America's reputation overseas.
"We can spend $50 million but when we do things
like rename french fries and engage in name calling we'll have to spend that
money just to make up for the ground lost and for things we inflicted on
ourselves," Schakowsky said.
Other lawmakers said they were concerned an
American SARS epidemic could cripple tourism nationwide.
In Toronto, SARS has lowered hotel
occupancy rates from 70 percent to 30 percent, according to the Hotel Employees
& Restaurant Employees International Union.
"If the same crisis, heaven forbid, were to
befall any number of major U.S. cities where tourism is the top
or second ranking source of employment, the consequences would be equally
horrific," said Matthew Walker, vice president of the union.
Industry heads also asked Congress to consider
reinstating a full meal and entertainment tax credit, which Congress reduced to
50 percent in 1993.
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