[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 104 (Tuesday, July 16, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H7535-H7536]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           TRAVEL AND TOURISM

  Mr. ROTH. Mr. Speaker, here is what travel and tourism has done for 
the Atlanta Olympics.
  When Atlanta was chosen to host the 1996 summer games, the tourism 
industry immediately began working with State and local governments.
  Their goal was to take advantage of the Olympics to make Atlanta a 
top international travel destination.
  To achieve their goal, they came up with a 5-year plan.
  The Olympic games have not begun and Atlanta is already receiving 
benefits.
  Since they started the plan, tourism has increased 10 percent 
annually. Atlanta hotels have the highest occupancy rate in their 
history. In the last 5 years, 7 million visitors have spent $3.5 
billion. In other words, travel and tourism is creating jobs and 
economic growth for Atlanta and for Georgia.
  Once the games begin, Atlanta expects another 2 million visitors.
  They expect 3 billion people to watch the Olympics on TV. That is 60 
percent of the world's population. It is 3 billion potential travelers. 
And Atlanta is making the most of it. Because of the 5-year plan, they 
expect tourism to increase 8 percent a year after the Olympics. They 
are succeeding because they are united. They know that the Olympics are 
not only an athletic competition. It is an opportunity to showcase 
Atlanta to the world.
  But organizing such an enormous event is no easy task. It calls for a 
common purpose and shared resources. Atlanta answered the call. Now 
they are seeing the benefits. We can learn something from their effort 
in Atlanta. Drawing visitors to the United States requires hard work 
and cooperation.
  But we obviously have not worked hard enough. Over the last 3 years, 
fewer and fewer tourists have been coming to the United States. Even 
though tourism is growing 23 percent faster than the world economy. By 
the year 2006, the United States could potentially create an additional 
2.4 million tourism-related jobs. That is a new job every 2 minutes. 
But this is not a foregone conclusion. Those jobs could easily go 
somewhere else.
  In 1995, 2 million fewer visitors came to the United States. 
Translated: That drop cost us 177,000 jobs.
  We need to adopt the same work ethic as the organizers of the 
Olympics. They brought many different groups together to ensure success 
in Atlanta this summer. Travel and tourism can benefit from being 
united; 99 percent of the tourism businesses in the United States are 
small businesses.
  They do not have the resources to tap into the international market 
by themselves. But, when they combine their resources, they are 
powerful. Overall, tourism is the second largest industry in America. 
It employs, directly and indirectly, over 14 million Americans. In 
1995, tourism pumped $76 billion into the U.S. economy and $58 billion 
in tax revenue.
  Tourism is our leading export with a $18 billion trade surplus. But 
we are rapidly losing ground. Our businesses lack the resources 
necessary to compete with their huge international rivals. We lack 
unity. Other nations pour billions of dollars into campaigns to attract 
tourists. Our small tourism businesses are left to their own devices.
  The travel and tourism industry recognized the problem. So they came 
to Washington last year to find a solution. At the White House 
Conference on Travel and Tourism, they found their answer--H.R. 2579. 
This bill brings together representatives from many segments of the 
tourism industry. These groups will formulate a national strategy for 
travel and tourism.
  The goal is to bring more international visitors to the United States 
and to steer them toward American businesses for every part of their 
trip. We should have 100 million visitors to the United States by the 
year 2000. Working independently, tourism could never hope to reach 
such a goal. But when these groups and businesses are united, they will 
be unstoppable. The travel and tourism industry will not be the only 
winners. Every American will benefit from its success.
  Millions of new jobs will be created. Billions of dollars in revenue 
will be generated. H.R. 2579 is the economic shot in the arm we are 
looking for. The entire world will be watching America this year. 
Travel and tourism is determining how the world sees us. Atlanta

[[Page H7536]]

will succeed because they are united. It is about time we gave travel 
and tourism the same advantage. Support travel and tourism by 
cosponsoring H.R. 2579.
  Mr. Speaker, when we pass H.R. 2579 and it is signed into law by the 
President, then America is going to have a chance to be in this global 
competition for tourism and for business.

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