SECRETARY EVANS ANNOUNCES MARKETS FOR BUSH ADMINISTRATION’S PROMOTIONAL TOURISM EFFORTS

Announcement Made During First U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board Meeting

Commerce Secretary Don Evans today announced that Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Japan and Germany will be the five countries in which the Bush Administration will focus its international tourism promotional campaign efforts. Evans made the announcement during today’s first meeting of the United States Travel and Tourism Promotion Advisory Board on Ellis Island in New York.

“The travel and tourism industry greatly suffered an economic impact from the 9/11 terrorist attacks,” Evans said. “On the eve of the second anniversary of 9/11 we want to send a global message that America is a safe place to visit and that we live in a vast and wonderful country with a diverse population and a proud history. As the campaign gets underway, I look forward to seeing an increase in visitors from these key markets and other countries which will provide a needed boost to the U.S. travel and tourism industry and added security for the many Americans who rely on this industry for jobs.”

Earlier this year, President Bush approved a $50 million appropriation to create an international travel and tourism marketing and promotion campaign. The campaign will focus on these five markets because these are countries that have historically sent the most travelers to the United States. They represent 75 percent of the international travelers hosted in the United States in 2002 and 46 percent of the receipts generated in 2001. In addition, these five countries contributed more than $9 billion to the travel trade surplus.

The campaign will include market and evaluation research, consumer and trade advertising and promotional efforts focused on earned and unearned media. There also will be a matching grants program to support regional promotion efforts.

The U.S. travel and tourism industry is responsible for approximately 17 million direct and indirect travel-related jobs in the United States and is the fourth largest export for the U.S. economy. In 2002, travel and tourism to the United States generated $84 billion in exports.

For more information on the U.S. Travel and Tourism Promotion Advisory Board, visit http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/about/us_promo_campaign/index.html.