Increase In Tourist Spending Indicates Positive Outlook For Those Seeking A Career In Tourism

Increase In Tourist Spending Indicates Positive Outlook For Those Seeking A Career In Tourism
Date: 2010-12-02
Industry: -Hotel-Restaurant-Travel- Category: Education

Statistics released by the U.S. Department of Commerce during the summer of 2010 revealed that tourist spending has increased over the previous year. The good news came not long after U.S. Congress and President Obama passed the Travel Promotional Bill in March, which is designed to promote U.S. tourism around the world.

Cherie Anderson of Professional Tour Management Training 
(TourTraining.com) believes the bounce-back will mean more job 
opportunities in the months to come for those seeking a career in 
tourism.

According to these statistics, there were 33.8 million international 
visitors to the United States during the first seven months of 2010, 
which was a 12 percent increase over the same period in 2009. And as 
for tourist spending, international visitors spent about $76.7 billion 
during the first seven months of 2010, which was a 10 percent increase 
over the month of July 2009. These studies indicate that the tourism 
industry may be slowly but surely recovering from the recession...a 
good sign for other economic sectors as well.

Through her Web site and e-book course titled "Tour Director Training 
Guide," Anderson provides professional training for students of all 
ages that are seeking a career in tourism, whether domestic or 
international guides and directors. She also helps students that are 
interested in other fields, but within the tourism industry, such as 
accounting, administration, marketing, customer service, event 
coordination, product management, etc.

Anderson states, "Many students have only one focus when they first 
start thinking about a career in tourism - becoming a travel agent. I 
help them to explore all possible options based on their skills and 
career goals. Other careers in tourism can be lucrative, challenging 
and fun."

Anderson also emphasizes that the tourism career sector isn't just for 
the young. She says, "It's great for young people and the retired. 
Many go into tour directing and guiding after their kids are grown. 
Maturity is seen as an asset in this industry, especially for those 
who will travel frequently."

Major tour operators including Globus, Tauck and Trafalgar have all 
reported an increase in international travel for 2010. Some operators 
within the European market are reporting 30 to 90 percent increases 
over 2009! In the U.S., tourism job availability is also picking up.

With so many new doors opening for job seekers, Anderson's tour career 
training e-book gives hopefuls a way to find out what jobs are 
available that match their skills, which employers pay the best, how 
to get their foot in the door, how to handle tour challenges or 
emergencies and more. Students will learn how to get hired by cruise 
lines, incentive houses, tour operators, sightseeing companies, 
student groups, adventure companies and destination management 
companies.

"

My experience is a goldmine for beginners in this field. If they 
love to go on exciting vacations, staying in the finest hotels, and 
experiencing life to its fullest, while getting paid, then this book 
is a great starting point," says Anderson.



About Cherie Anderson
Cherie Anderson is the owner of Professional Tour Management Training. 
She has been training professional tour directors and guides since 
1993. Her training is offered online through more than 2100 colleges 
worldwide. She has also compiled all the training into an e-book 
titled "Tour Director Training Guide," which is available for 
immediate download.

Read more about tourism careers and tour training at the Web address 
below:


http://www.tourtraining.com/

For an interview or more information, please contact Cherie Anderson 
by phone at (949) 830-8603 or by email: tourtraining@aol.com

Insight Vacations

Insight Vacations is offering a new tour package, Gold program. It includes, "...stay in 5-star luxury hotels, dine in authentic restaurants, and enjoy leisurely touring with premium included sightseeing." If you're an experienced or new Tour Director you may want to contact them. Their tours sales are doing very well and I understand they are hiring.

http://www.travmedia.com/north-america/pressrelease.php?id=646

Here's the press release. It includes tour descriptions and a link to their website.

Insight Vacations Announces "Gold" Touring Collection
29 Nov 10
Top European Tour Operator Launches Deluxe Class Program


Insight Vacations is delighted to announce the addition of their new luxury Gold itineraries. An exceptional range of 7 uniquely-tailored deluxe tours, you will stay in 5-star luxury hotels, dine in authentic restaurants, and enjoy leisurely touring with premium included sightseeing. It truly is an entirely new perspective on classical journeys. Three Nile River Cruises have been moved to Insight's new Gold program, and they have added four completely new premium itineraries. As always, enjoy full Insight benefits: smaller group sizes, luxury coaches with more legroom, and included sightseeing escorted by an outstanding Insight Tour Director. Insight's new luxury itineraries truly are the "Gold" standard!

Insight Gold Itineraries for 2011

Britain and Ireland—This expertly planned itinerary evokes the Golden Age of travel as it follows one of the truly classic routes around Scotland, England, Wales, and Ireland. Experience all the age-old towns, historic sites and superb scenery while still leaving plenty of time for personal exploration. Insight has put together a collection of luxury hotels which tastefully fuse traditional charm and atmosphere with modern design. Highlights of the tour include Edinburgh Castle, Chatsworth House-- home to the Duke of Devonshire, Trinity College in Dublin to see the Book of Kells, afternoon tea with scones and Guinness Cake on a private farm for an insight into rural Irish life, and the Cobh Heritage Centre. 15 days, priced from $5435, land only, based on double occupancy.

European Masterpiece—With two-night stays throughout, this classic route through the Alps sets the perfect pace. In the cities, it allows for sightseeing in the mornings and free time in the afternoon. You'll travel on the high-speed TGV from Dijon to Paris, turning what is normally a full day on the coach into a more leisurely affair. Your exquisite hotels are mostly traditional or historic in character, yet they have all been renovated to provide modern facilities with a touch of class. Highlights of the tour include a visit to the Vatican and Sistine Chapel, wine tasting in Chianti, Michelangelo's David in Florence, a cruise across the Venetian Lagoon with lunch in the colorful fishing village of Burano, Mt. Pilatus, a ride through the French countryside on the TGV, the world's fastest train, and a privately guided tour of the Louvre Museum. 12 days, priced from $5050, land only, based on double occupancy.

Iberian Classic—This tour expertly blends just the right amount of touring with in-depth sightseeing and free time for personal exploration. The comfortable rail journey from Madrid to Barcelona also transforms what is usually a full day's drive into a pleasant few hours on the train. Hop off, relaxed and refreshed, ready for your Barcelona city tour! Your first hotel in Lisbon is contemporary, chic and stylish. Other properties are more classic in design with lavish, opulent interiors, combining a timeless elegance with state of the art amenities and friendly, helpful service. Highlights of the tour include Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon, a horse and carriage ride in Seville, the tomb of Christopher Columbus, a guided tour of the Alhambra Palace, the church of Santo Tomé in Toledo, and Barcelona Cathedral. 12 days, priced from $3650, land only, based on double occupancy.

Italian Vogue—As with all Insight Vacation's Gold itineraries, the tours have been planned, where possible, with two-night stays and later starts in the morning. In order to experience some of Italy's most secluded gems, you'll embark on a variety of ferries, hydrofoil, trains, gondolas and boats in addition to the usual armchair coach comfort. Your superb, traditional hotels are all excellently located, retaining the classic elegance and grace of their respective settings, but with a contemporary feel and friendly service. Highlights of the tour include a guided visit of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, a private tour of Pompeii, lunch and Frascati wine tasting in the Roman Hills, a visit to the Blue Grotto in Capri; Michelangelo's statue of David in Florence, and a cruise along the rugged coastline of the Cinque Terre with an included lunch in the village of Monterosso. 11 days, priced from $4350, land only, based on double occupancy.

Elegance along the Nile:

Insight Gold has three elegant Egypt cruises on the beautiful boutique river boat, River Tosca. The River Tosca is a newly purpose-built cruiser with all the modern conveniences, yet exquisitely decorated in fine Egyptian style. The roomy cabins are tastefully designed with chic, all-white armchairs, decadent fluffy beds and a luxury marble bathroom with separate bathtub and walk-in shower. And the sun deck, complete with pool and shaded cabanas from which to watch the Nile river gliding by, is downright bliss.

Elegance of Egypt—This relaxing three-night Nile cruise is book-ended with nights in Cairo. Your clients will unwind in style at the elegant 5-star Conrad Cairo hotel and marvel at breathtaking views of the Nile from the private balcony. 8 days, priced from $2425, based on double occupancy.

Elegance of the Nile—With seven nights on board the River Tosca, your clients have plenty of time to immerse themselves in the daily hubbub of the towns and cities, haggle with the hawkers and traders, and bear witness to the fascinating historic sites before returning to the sophistication and tranquility of their luxury Nile cruise. The two hotels, the Conrad in Cairo and the 5 star Winter Palace in Luxor, present an exotic mix of traditional and modern. 14 days, priced from $3725, based on double occupancy.

Elegance of the Pharaohs—A relaxed itinerary where travelers can watch ancient Egypt unfold before their very eyes from the French balcony of their deluxe river cruise suite. The two hotels on this tour both boast excellent island locations! The Marriott is in Zamalek, the heart of Cairo, while the Aswan Mövenpick is on Elephantine Island-- a welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of the city. The bar on the 13th floor of the tower has a fabulous panoramic view of Aswan and Elephantine Island! 11 days, priced from $2899, based on double occupancy.

Insight guests enjoy more intimate groups, limited to just 40 passengers, the services of an experienced tour director and the assurance of staying in top selected hotels which are centrally or scenically located. Travel in style on Insight's luxury reconfigured coaches with more legroom so the journey is as enjoyable as the destination.

Take advantage of the included sightseeing worth hundreds of dollars, ensuring your holiday budget goes further. With so many included meals, quality hotels and sightseeing experiences, you'll be astounded at the value of an Insight Vacation.

Insight Vacations has accumulated an international following by providing outstanding service and quality tour packages to the savvy traveler who seeks better accommodations, choices in dining, and smaller group sizes all while staying in the most desirable locations. For over 30 years, Insight Vacations has been the leader in premium escorted tours and cruises to Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, Mexico, Canada and the United States.

Book now! For more information or reservations, please contact your local travel agent or call Insight Vacations at (888) 680-1241 .To order brochures or for more information visit Insight Vacations' web site at www.insightvacations.com

Responsible volunteering: things to know before you go

This 'Lonely Planet' article has excellent suggestions for volunteering worldwide. Tourism and volunteers can help and or hurt. I've seen both on my tours and hope we're going in the direction of being more helpful to local populations.

Article:

When you visit a country, especially if it’s in the developing world, often you can’t forget what you’ve seen – and want to give back to a community. Volunteering is an increasingly popular ways for travellers to express that desire.

But a new report shows that if you’re not careful about how you spend your money or where you volunteer, despite every good intention you could end up hurting the people you’re trying to help. The study explores how ‘voluntourism’ – specifically relating to travellers providing short-term volunteering as caregivers to ‘AIDS orphans’ in sub-Saharan African – can negatively affect the children, not to mention encourage profiteering from orphanages.

The problems are many, writes Ian Birrell in The Guardian: ‘Wealthy tourists prevent local workers from getting much-needed jobs, especially when they pay to volunteer; hard-pressed institutions waste time looking after them and money upgrading facilities; and abused or abandoned children form emotional attachments to the visitors, who increase their trauma by disappearing back home.’

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t volunteer – it just means that you should arm yourself with the right information so you can volunteer in a positive way. So what questions do you need to ask? We spoke with Karen Leonard, founder of Lifestart Foundation in Hoi An, who gave us some great practical advice:

Do your homework. ‘What we want is for travellers to be informed. That way they can make decisions with the head rather than the heart once on the ground. Otherwise, they can be swept up by a tide of emotion. I used to buy the Lonely Planet guide a year before landing in the destination. It’s the same thing with volunteering. It’s not uncommon for our volunteers to prepare six months ahead for a two-week stay. So read up beforehand and make that part of your study. That way you can go with a plan rather than an impulse.’

Choose the right organisation for you. ‘Research organisations first rather than walking in off the street. Read their website and ask yourself: is that the kind of philosophy I want to align with.’

Check an organisation is legitimate. It can be really hard to tell from afar whether an organisation is reputable or not. ‘One of the best ways is to check the organisation’s credentials,’ says Karen. ‘Make sure that they’re registered in their country of origin and that they’re registered with the local government.’ Lifestart Foundation also requires police checks for volunteers, another indicator of an organisation seeking to protect the people it’s looking after.

Contact the organisation before going. ‘Don’t just drop in, email the organisation beforehand,’ recommends Karen. That’s better for everyone. ‘That way organisations can provide you with useful pre-departure information and information for when you land in a country. And you can find out in advance what hoops you need to jump through before landing – for example, you can’t get a police check once you’re in country.’

Ask the organisation what they need. Rather than superimpose your skill, ask what the charities need. Dream volunteers, says Karen, are ‘the ones that say “I’ve got two arms, what do you want done?” Basically, daily, hourly we don’t know what our needs are going to be. We had a flood last week and just needed people to shovel mud.’

If you can only volunteer for a short time, check that this makes sense. Most organisations would prefer longer term volunteers, says Karen. Otherwise, ‘by the time we do a short-term induction…the week’s over.’ That said, some organisations will be able to use even one or two days of help. Longer term is probably anything from a 3-month placement up.

Make sure volunteering is the best use of your time. What if you don’t have the time to volunteer – but still want to give something back to the community? Why not do some fundraising beforehand, suggests Karen. ‘Seek out a charity where you’re going to donate and contact them beforehand – see if they need anything brought over. That way you can do something very direct like a quick whip around at work before you go.’

Think about where your money is going. ‘Sometimes places can be kept looking poor so people delve into their pockets. But that money never goes to the children – or the improvement of an orphanage. The kids are just used as a pawn in this.’

Finally, always ask yourself this question when volunteering. ‘If it was your child, grandchild, brother or sister in that situation, what kind of volunteering would be ok/not ok? There are so many people who want to spend an hour at an orphanage,’ says Karen. ‘People take fluffy toys – and lollies – and go and kick a ball with the kids.’ But often this constant stream of people is of little benefit to the children – and creates a situation in which they’re just another sight on the tourist trail.

Despite the need to be careful about volunteering, Karen says she’s incredibly inspired by volunteers, particularly from younger generations. ‘I find more and more that young people are doing it earlier and earlier. It’s quite natural to do it in your forties and fifties but I find it quite incredible that young people want to do it earlier at a peak time for their careers back home.’

For Karen, starting Lifestart Foundation in Vietnam was a natural conclusion to a life of travelling. ‘I was always shocked by the disadvantage I saw but after returning home always got back into the groove of my normal life. But you get to an age where your children have grown and you think I don’t have to just be shocked about this now, I can do something about it.’

Karen Leonard is the founder of Lifestart Foundation, an organisation aimed at helping disadvantaged people in Hoi An become self-sufficient. She says that one of the best things to do in Hoi An is simply to drink a Vietnamese coffee on a plastic stool on Bach Dang St overlooking the river. For about 30c you can feel the pulse of the city; a great way to start the day…


http://www.lonelyplanet.com/asia/travel-tips-and-articles/76268

Airport Security

I like this video on airport security. It shows clearly what's required, how to pack and what needs to be scanned.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2010/11/18/holiday.travel.security.cnn

National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a wonderful resource for tour operators, tour directors and guides, volunteers and anyone interested in heritage tourism and in saving our US historic destinations. It’s also a good resource for developing informative and interesting narration.

http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/heritage-tourism/

Professional Tour Management Training

The next online course, "Get Paid to Travel", training for Professional Tour Directors, Travel Staff and Guides starts tomorrow, Wednesday, November 10. To enroll click on the banner that says, "Online Learning.... any time....anywhere...."

www.tour-guide-traning.com

Phone Apps for Travellers

Tour directing and guiding is getting easier and easier thanks to phone apps. I like all of these.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/10/18/helpful.travel.apps/index.html

Collette has Announced a New Tour Package

More great news for those of us in travel and especially tour directors. Collette has announced, “...business — sales are up 61 percent from 2009 — the tour operator is launching a new brand of tours: Explorations. ...during one of Collette’s most successful years ...the goal of Explorations is to allow clients to taste, live, explore and connect to a destination, clients also receive the benefit of an all-inclusive tour.”

I recommend filling in the online application and posting your resume on their website asap. Collette normally starts their new hiring right after the Christmas holidays. With a new program they may start earlier.

http://www.travelagewest.com/travel/tours/Info/Collette-Vacations-Gains-Clients/

Win an Eco-Adventure

Here's a way to donate to a good cause and maybe win a great adventure. "Prizes...include a seven-night cruise for two on a luxury yacht through the Galapagos Islands...a trek along Peru's Inca Trail to Machu Picchu...a stay at Nepal's Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge nestled deep within the Himalayas."

http://www.travmedia.com/north-america/pressrelease.php?id=62861&mo=3&referencekey=d66cd2092d34039ac4ad8d092024d19a

Free national parks field-guide phone app

This sounds like a wonderful app for Tour Directors, Guides and leisure travellers. Sure would help with questions, animal sightings, plants and etc.

Free national parks field-guide phone app
By Kitty Bean Yancey, USA TODAY

No need to wonder what flora and fauna you're viewing at a national park or to lug a heavy guidebook.

New field guides to 50 of them can be downloaded free to your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch from iTunes, courtesy of the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association.

The guides contain park info, show animals and plants; they even have recordings of bird calls, says the association's Megan Cantrell, who is senior coordinator of member engagement.

The idea is to make a park visit "more interactive," says Cantrell. And anyone who has ever been in a park, seen a strange animal and thought, "What the heck is that?" will be enlightened now. "There are a lot of maps" and park guides, Cantrell says. "But these are the first comprehensive field guides." You need to be in an area with cell service, though. And if you take an iPad or iPod touch into the field, you need a Wi-Fi connection.

Posted Oct 7 2010 12:15PM

Tourism Progress and Peace Conference

“Throughout history humankind has looked into venues (other than war) to enhance sustainable peace and harmony in the world. Why not tourism? How?” These are the questions being discussed at the Tourism Progress and Peace Conference in Jordon next March.

Are you working on this in your travel career? Have ideas? The conference is looking for abstracts (a brief summary) of your ideas. The link will give you details on the conference. The link to submit an abstract in the upper left hand column.

I personally feel the importance of tourism and world peace has been greatly overlooked. I’m glad to see the conference.

http://www.tourismprogressandpeace.com/index.html

World Clock

This is useful, educational and fun. It's a world clock that includes time and every kind of world statistic you can imagine. It easy to get lost in the spinning numbers.

http://www.poodwaddle.com/worldclock.swf

Traveling Cairo to Cape Town--Pam Barrus

Many of my past students know Pam Barrus, a tour director, travel staff, author and adventurer. Pam traveled throughout Africa this year alone. The link below will take you to her blog.

Hi Cherie,

It's Pam Barrus, …the URL of the blog I ran during the Cairo to Cape Town trip this summer, so here it is: pamafricanqueen.blogspot.com The most entertaining part, imo, is in July with Somaliland, Las Geel, and Jubba Airways. :-) In October I'm giving a talk about the trip, but for only about 20 minutes on a panel to some university women's group. It's to encourage women to travel alone. Hopefully, they won't be scared off.

Have a terrific year, and I hope there's a new get-together soon!

xoxo
Pam

"Travel Abroad at a Young Age Enhances Education, Career Growth and Success"

I agree! Some of my students have found the student market a great way to get experience in tour directing and guiding. It’s also a market that has done well in spite of the economy challenges. This is the time of year to start contacting the companies.
http://www.travmedia.com/north-america/pressrelease.php?id=61984&mo=3&referencekey=d66cd2092d34039ac4ad8d092024d19a

Good Resource for Tour Operators

Travelage West has always been a good resource for new and experienced Tour Directors. It makes it easy to keep up with Tour Operators and their new tours and programs. I enjoy seeing new itineraries and the variety of interests covered, something for everyone and every age. It’s also a helpful resource for leisure travelers.

http://www.travelagewest.com/Travel/Tours/

Resume Suggestions

Tory Johnson from ABC Good Morning America has some very good resume suggestions. I particularly like her suggestions on how to present dates. Many new tour directors and guides are mature but you don’t want to appear ‘old’ on your resume.

I’m often asked about ages. If you go to Collette’s webpage you’ll see a picture of their tour directors. A wide range of ages are represented.

http://t.co/kNhglZI

Student Tours

Liz Moran has written a wonderful new section for the “Tour Director Training Guides”. on student tours. Here’s a section I think you’ll find very helpful if you’re considering student tours.

“A one-stop resource to finding a list of student tour operators can be found on the Student and Youth Travel Associate website at www.syta.com. On the home page, locate the tab “For Educators/Group Leaders” and from the drop down menu choose “Find An SYTA Tour Operator.” This will bring you to another page where you can search for operators by country, state or types of tours. Do not conduct a search under “Origination Locations” because it doesn’t matter where the tour operator is located! I work for student operators located in Northern California, Michigan and Illinois! Just conduct a broad search: Under “Destination Locations,” choose United States from the drop down menu. This will give you a list of ALL student tour operators who are members of SYTA.”

Tourism Continues to Rebound!

Good news. Tourism continues to rebound in 2010. “...international visitors spent an estimated $11.1 billion ...marking the sixth consecutive month of growth ...spending has increased, on average, $732 million a month in 2010. ..Travel purchases of travel and tourism-related goods and services ...$8.6 billion during June, an increase of nearly 14 percent... Passenger Fare Receipts: 17 percent to $2.5 billion for the month, an increase of $362 million...visitors have spent an estimated $64.6 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services year to date...an increase of 7 percent ...“

http://www.travmedia.com/north-america/pressrelease.php?id=61276&mo=3&referencekey=d66cd2092d34039ac4ad8d092024d19a

New Surveys Give Insight Into U.S. Travelers and Spending Trends

Interesting survey on the direction of tourism. “Among men who were surveyed, the top destination was Australia, while most women chose Italy.” After seeing the Italy pizza scenes in “Eat, Pray, Love” I’m guessing Italy will become even more popular with women.


http://www.travelagewest.com/article_ektid44980.aspx

Eat, Pray and Love

We’re all counting on the movie boasting international tourism. Tour operators are already adding “Eat, Pray and Love” tours. Should be fun tours to lead. I'm ready! I love Bali.

http://www.straitstimes.com/SME%2BSpotlight/Lifestyle/Story/STIStory_562318.html

New Travel Gadgets

I like the solar charger and especially the Kodak Playsport. My cell video just isn't enough.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2010/07/12/whitfield.tech.for.travel.cnn

Tipping Guide

Here’s a good resource for domestic and international tour managers on tipping. It’s always a ‘touchy’ topic for our groups. They want to know when to tip, the ‘average’ tip but never want to be ‘told’ to tip. This site also includes a downloadable Tipping Guide and a link to an Asia tipping site.

www.travelsense.org/tips/tippingetiquette.cfm

Travel Careers on the Rebound

Here’s a copy of a recent press release on travel careers and good resource for tour operators, videos, sustainable tourism, faith tours, interviews, trip research, attractions, links and more.

http://www.grouptravelleader.com/Newsletter_Items/2010/June/Travel_careers_on_the_rebound.aspx

How to Become a Tour Guide : Overview of Tour Guide Career

Tour operators report resurgence in international bookings

By: Michelle Baran
March 05, 2010
Tour operators are seeing customers book more international trips for 2010, indicating that U.S. travelers are starting to invest more in their vacations again and are feeling secure enough in their jobs to leave the office for longer.

"Travel is the ultimate barometer of consumer confidence," said Steve Born, vice president of marketing for the Globus Family of Brands, which among several operators has seen long-haul international business returning after a year when close-to-home travel — or little to no travel — was often favored over pricier trips.

Bookings for Europe, a high-volume destination for most operators, reflect a sizeable increase in demand across the board.

"Europe is up more than 50%," said Richard Launder, president of TravCorp USA, the parent of several brands, including Trafalgar, Insight and Brendan Vacations. "That gets us back to 2008 levels and over. So in a sense, we’ve come back."

Complete article: http://www.travelweekly.com/article3.aspx?id=211122

Travel Promotion Act Faces Final Passage, Vote Expected Soon

Contact Your Senators Immediately And Urge Their Support
23 Feb 10

The travel community is on the cusp of final passage of the Travel Promotion Act, landmark legislation which will for the first time create a public-private partnership to promote travel to the United States. The travel community is on the cusp of final passage of the Travel Promotion Act, landmark legislation which will for the first time create a public-private partnership to promote travel to the United States. After months of focus on other issues, including health care reform and jobs stimulus legislation, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has indicated that final consideration of this important bill is imminent. President Obama also touted the value of the legislation during his comments in Las Vegas this past Friday (click here).

We urge you to please start reaching out to your Senators today to ensure that when the bill is brought to the floor they are ready to support it. Speak to them about the immediate need to pass this bill in order to help our economy by attracting new spending, creating new jobs and reducing our national deficit, all at no cost to American taxpayers (see below for links to contact information and talking points).

In order to help you make the case, we worked in conjunction with Oxford Economics to develop a new analysis of overseas travel to the United States titled The Lost Decade which shows the failure of the United States to simply keep pace with the growth in international long-haul travel worldwide and how much it has cost our economy:

- 68.3 million lost visitors, each of whom on average spend well over $4,000 dollars.
- $509 billion in lost spending, including $214 billion in direct spending and $295 billion in downstream spending at restaurants, retailers, and scores of other small businesses.
- 441,000 lost jobs, direct, indirect and induced, in all regions of the country.
- $32 billion in lost tax revenue at the federal, state and local levels.
- $270 billion in lost trade surplus, export funding needed to rebuild our economy.

As you know, the Senate passed the Travel Promotion Act in September (S.1023) with a strong bipartisan vote of 79-19. The Travel Promotion Act was then unanimously approved by the House of Representatives in November as part of H.R.1299. Because the legislation creates "revenue" for the federal government, the Constitution requires that the Travel Promotion Act originate in the House. Therefore, the Senate must now take a final vote on H.R.1299.

It's important that every Senator who supported the legislation in September hear again from members of the travel community thanking them for their original vote of support and urging their continued support in the coming weeks for final passage of the legislation.

Your relentless grassroots advocacy for more than two years has moved the United States one giant step closer to its first multi-million dollar, nationally coordinated travel promotion program. Let's get the job done in the Senate with final passage.

Contact Your Senators TODAY

Call or email your Senator today and let him/her know that you value their support for the Travel Promotion Act.

International Tourism on Track for a Rebound after an Exceptionally Challenging 2009

Madrid, Spain 18 January 2010

Growth returned to international tourism in the last quarter of 2009contributing to better than expected full-year results, according to the latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. International tourist arrivals fell by an estimated 4% in 2009. Prospects have also improved with arrivals now forecast to grow between 3% and 4% in 2010.This outlook is confirmed by the remarkable rise of the UNWTO Panel of Experts’ Confidence Index.

2009 – Last quarter sees return to growth

For a copy of the full report click on:

http://www.unwto.org/media/news/en/press_det.php?id=5361&idioma=E