[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 159 (Friday, October 13, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H10076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           TRAVEL AND TOURISM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Roth] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ROTH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Speaker for granting me this time, 
and I want the Speaker to know I am speaking about a subject that of 
much interest to him and to myself, and I think just about every Member 
I would think in this body. Because, Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk 
just a few minutes about travel and tourism.
  Travel and tourism has a great story to tell in America. It is not 
always told. Let me say, Mr. Speaker, that from our largest cities to 
our smallest towns, along superhighways and the back roads of America, 
no other industry spreads economic development as widely as travel and 
tourism. It is obvious how tourism impacts the districts of New York or 
Los Angeles or Miami, but many of the people in Congress represent a 
much different segment of America, and they ask, how does tourism 
affect me in my district?
  So let me say that whether it is a large district, a strong economic 
district; whether it is a small town, whether it is rural America; 
whether it is a State without a coastline, does tourism affect you? You 
bet it does. Every town with a gas station, a motel, or a diner, is 
impacted by tourism.
  In these areas, tourism is a catalyst for community development. It 
spurs new businesses, encourages park and historic site restoration, 
and stimulates community growth. Tourism funnels millions of dollars 
and thousands of jobs into every State, every congressional district, 
in America. In fact, the travel and tourism industry puts food on the 
tables, pays for the bills, and provides solid careers for people in 
every congressional district of America.
  Across this Nation, tourism supports the lives of 13 million working 
Americans. It is the Nation's second largest employer. That is right, 
travel and tourism is the country's second largest employer. This is 
the industry of the future. By the year 2005, in 10 years, executive 
and administrative positions alone, within this industry, will 
outnumber the total employment of all but two manufacturing industries.
  Not only does travel and tourism create millions of jobs, but it 
generates billions of dollars in revenue. Just listen to this: In 1994, 
last year, travel and tourism generated $417 billion in sales. That is 
right, $417 billion in sales as well as $58 billion in tax revenues for 
our country.

  But there is more to the tourism story than just jobs and dollars. 
Tourism is also about community revitalization and helping the American 
family. Our communities desperately need tourist dollars to resurface 
roads, to build new highways, to restore parks and recreation areas, 
and improve our schools. In fact, without these revenues each American 
household would have to pay an additional $652 a year in taxes. So 
wherever you are in America, what is travel and tourism doing for you? 
It is shaving your tax bill by $652. Tourism dollars prevent higher 
taxes in America. Tourism means jobs. Tourism is leading this country 
into the 21st century for economic development and jobs.
  Increasing export trade means that in 1993, the travel and tourist 
industry trade surplus reached an all-time high of over $22 billion.
  This year, we are going to have the largest trade deficit. It is 
going to be close to $200 billion. Last year it was $166 billion. But 
do you know what is keeping at least part of this trade deficit in 
line? Is what we are doing with tourism. Because when the tourist comes 
to America and buys a dollar's worth of goods or services, it is the 
same as if we sold that goods or service overseas.
  On October 30 and 31 we are going to have some 1,700 industry 
professionals here in Washington for the White House Conference on 
Travel and Tourism. It is the first time we have really had a 
conference like this. And when you see what is happening in travel and 
tourism around America, the developments of travel and tourism globally 
in the 21st century, this is truly preparing our children and our 
country for a huge economic development.
  So I am asking Members of the House to join in our Travel and Tourist 
Caucus. We now have 286 Members. The Travel and Tourist Caucus is the 
largest caucus in Congress. I am asking Members to join up before 
October 30 and 31, so that when we have the people from this huge 
industry come to Washington, we can tell them what they can do with us 
for the future of America.
  I am also asking Members of this body to look at H.R. 1083, the 
Travel and Tourism Relief Act, what it can do economically for our 
country, for every district, for the jobs in America. I am asking 
Members to do those three things: First, become active in the travel 
and tourist conference; second, to look at this legislation; and, 
third, to fight to preserve and to build better jobs.

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