[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16021]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    THE TRAVEL PROMOTION ACT OF 2009

  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, today I rise to recognize the importance 
of the tourism industry to our country and the State of South Carolina, 
and to express my support for the passage of initiatives like the 
Travel Promotion Act of 2009 and a spouse travel tax deduction that 
seek to bolster an industry that is a vital component to the economies 
of so many communities and States.
  South Carolina is home to some of the most unique destinations for 
leisure or business travel in the world. From the trails of Table Rock 
Mountain in the Blue Ridge, to the quaint mill villages throughout the 
South Carolina National Heritage Corridor, to a kayak excursion in the 
Congaree Swamp National Park, to a horse carriage ride through the 
streets of historic Charleston, the Palmetto State is a wealth of 
natural, cultural, recreational and historic opportunities for any 
visitor. Golf Digest magazine selected 11 of South Carolina's more than 
500 golf courses as some of the top 100 public courses in the Nation 
for 2009. Conde Nast Traveler magazine named Charleston as the No. 2 
destination in the country, rounding out 16 consecutive years as one of 
the magazine's top 10 travel destinations in America. The list goes on. 
The one-of-a-kind history, landscape and culture of our State help all 
visitors to understand our pride in the motto ``Smiling Faces, 
Beautiful Places.''
  The sum of these treasures is an economic engine that drives the 
prosperity of our State. The tourism industry is the second largest 
industry in the State of South Carolina. In 2007, the industry 
generated $17.2 billion and employed more than 12 percent of the 
State's workforce. Not only does tourism generate more than $100 
billion in tax revenue and employ more than 7 million individuals 
nationwide, but the industry also encourages investment, attracts new 
business, and enhances the quality of life for local residents. Tourism 
is truly the lifeblood for many communities not only in South Carolina 
but throughout America.
  Unfortunately, the economic downturn is taking its toll on the 
tourism industry. I remain concerned with the impact that the recession 
continues to have on the decisions of domestic and international 
leisure travelers, and on business meetings travel. Families and 
individuals are tightening their belts, afraid to spend hard-earned 
money in an unpredictable economy that could still worsen. 
International travel to the United States has declined since September 
11, 2001, despite the weak dollar enabling most overseas travelers to 
do and see even more in our country.
  Domestic business travel accounts for about one-fifth of all trips to 
South Carolina each year. More and more companies are hesitant to book 
perfectly legitimate corporate meetings and conferences in destinations 
like Greenville and the South Carolina coast for fear that they will be 
singled out for irresponsible spending during an economic recession. 
According to a Meetings and Conventions magazine study, more than half 
of those interviewed believed that recent harsh criticism against 
meetings and events has influenced their companies' decisions to hold 
such events. We must not allow the irresponsible behavior of some to 
damage public opinion regarding business travel for responsible 
organizations.
  In the first 3 months of 2009, hotel occupancy in South Carolina was 
down more than 12 percent, with losses in all of our traditional 
tourist and business meeting destinations. Tourism-related tax revenue 
is down 5 percent from this time last year. These are only a couple of 
real numbers that directly impact employment and local economies in 
South Carolina, a State currently suffering from one of the highest 
unemployment rates in the Nation at 12.1 percent.
  While I believe the economy will rebound eventually, consumer 
confidence is not showing sufficient signs of improvement. We must 
encourage international travelers, Americans, and American business to 
continue to travel for leisure and to hold appropriate destination 
corporate meetings and conferences, despite the downturn in the 
economy. I remain committed to exploring new ways to accomplish this 
goal in the U.S. Senate.
  I recently signed on as a cosponsor to S. 1023, the Travel Promotion 
Act, as I believe it is a significant step in restoring and encouraging 
overseas travel to the United States. While I supported a measure for 
the Senate to proceed to this legislation last week, I was unable to 
support cloture on S. 1023 as I do not believe the majority provided 
the minority with sufficient opportunity to offer amendments. My vote 
was unrelated to the substance of the legislation, and I am 
disappointed that the Senate was unable to complete action on the bill 
this week.
  The Travel Promotion Act facilitates collaboration between various 
stakeholders in the tourism industry so that they may share ideas on 
how best to promote travel to America. South Carolina welcomes about 1 
million international travelers each year. While this number may be low 
compared to other tourism destinations, overall South Carolina benefits 
greatly from their visits as international travelers tend to stay 
longer and spend more in our hotels, restaurants, shops, cultural sites 
and more. Through this legislation, I am hopeful that efforts to 
encourage travel to our country will benefit South Carolina.
  To encourage business travel nationally, I authored legislation, S. 
261, which would allow for a spouse to deduct travel expenses such as 
transportation, food and lodging expenses, when traveling with his or 
her spouse on business travel. Business travel accounts for more than 
20 percent of all travel in South Carolina. I strongly believe that 
restoring this tax deduction would encourage additional travel and 
subsequent exploration of work-travel destinations. It is my hope that 
Congress will act on this legislation in a timely manner.
  Now is an opportune time to travel, as nearly all tourism 
destinations are offering packages and deals to entice families and 
corporate meetings to choose their respective areas. Hotel rates are 
some of the lowest we have seen in years, while gas prices remain 
affordable. I am hopeful that families and corporations will take 
advantage of this opportunity, and consider South Carolina for their 
next destination.
  It is vital that Congress recognize the importance of the tourism 
industry to our country, and encourage all Americans to continue to 
travel. I look forward to working with my colleagues on new ways to 
support the tourism industry.

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