National Travel and Tourism Week
Santa Monica Mayor Pro Tempore Tony Vazquez welcomes visitors from London, Ontario at the Santa Monica Visitors Center Kiosk during the kick-off of the 32nd annual National Travel and Tourism Week on Wednesday, May 6, 2015.
Santa Monica kicked-off the 32nd annual National Travel and Tourism Week today as Mayor Pro Tempore Tony Vasquez and Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau (SMCVB) welcomed residents and visitors at the Visitor Information Kiosk in Palisades Park. The occasion is a national concerted effort led by the U.S. Travel Association to shine light on what travel means to jobs, economic growth and personal well-being throughout communities across America.
“Just look at the numbers. Travel supports 15 million jobs in America, including 13,700 right here in Santa Monica,” said Santa Monica Mayor Pro Tempore Tony Vazquez. “This week and next, we are celebrating and sharing stories about what travel means to our community, and we call on everyone—from elected officials to local residents—to join us in saluting this important industry.”
Across California, travel employs a prosperous and diverse workforce, from airline and hotel employees, to restaurant, attractions and retail workers, and supports industry sections such as construction, manufacturing and finance. Some of the numbers:
Over 1 million jobs are supported by travel and tourism in California
$9.3 billion in state and local tax revenue is generated in California
The national figures are equally remarkable:
$2.1 trillion in economic output and $927.9 billion in direct travel-related spending in the U.S. by domestic and international travelers in 2014.
$141.5 billion generated in federal, state and local tax revenues in 2014.
15 million American jobs supported—8 million direct tourism jobs and 7 million indirect and 7 million indirect and induced jobs—good jobs with good pay that cannot be outsourced.
“The tourism industry has personally provided me with incredible work opportunities for nearly 30 years,” said Santa Monica CEO/President Misti Kerns “Regardless of your background, if you are hardworking, hospitable, and willing to learn, you can have a future in this industry. Many members of the SMCVB team live in Santa Monica and have witnessed first-hand the direct benefits of tourism including the countless Santa Monica businesses and jobs that are touched by the economic activity visitors bring. That is what Travel & Tourism Week is all about.”
Studies are showing that destination marketing does more than sell trips to a state or city. Besides inspiring travel, it also has a halo effect on the city or state, elevating impressions in a positive manner. A recent article in HYPERLINK "http://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewlevine2/2015/03/19/why-tourism-advertising-is-more-powerful-than-you-think/" Forbes features research from Longwoods International, a leader in public opinion research in the travel and tourism industry, that shows tourism advertising also improvwa consumer perceptions of a city and/or state as a good place to live, start a career, attend college, start a business, and retire.
“Our mission is strategically focused on attracting visitors who bring the most economic benefits to Santa Monica with the least environmental impacts,” said SMCVB CEO/President Misti Kerns. “However, it is exciting to think that the tourism halo effect may also be elevating Santa Monica’s reputation and spreading the long-term benefits of broader economic development across other industry sectors.”
Travel can also have a positive effect on personal well-being. A recent study by the U.S. Travel Association found that Americans left 429 million vacation days unused (the most in nearly 40 years) and forfeited $52.4 billion in time-off benefits. If workers took just one more day off each year, travel would generate $73 billion annually for the economy.
“Travel contributes to the fabric of America and continues to do wonders for our businesses and personal lives,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, the umbrella organization representing the travel industry in the U.S. “This weeklong celebration should extend to every day of the week to strengthen further our dynamic industry.”
On May 14, 2015, SMCVB will continue the celebrations with its 6th annual Travel and Tourism Summit at the Fairmont Hotel & Bungalows. During the event, SMCVB will release results from the 2014 Santa Monica Tourism Economic Impact Study, provide an update on its 5-year strategic plan, discuss the future outlook of the city’s travel landscape and unveil the destination brand refresh. Key speakers will include Santa Monica Mayor Kevin McKeown, Visit California CEO/President Caroline Beteta and representatives from SMCVB’s international agency partners. Two breakout sessions will be held after the main program focusing on “Where in the world is…Santa Monica CVB: how SMCVB is strategically reaching the trade, media and consumers” and “Developing Customer-Centric Digital Experiences”.
For more information on the 6th annual Santa Monica Travel & Tourism Summit and to RSVP, visit HYPERLINK "http://www.santamonica.com/summit-invite"www.santamonica.com/summit-invite.
Santa Monica kicked-off the 32nd annual National Travel and Tourism Week today as Mayor Pro Tempore Tony Vasquez and Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau (SMCVB) welcomed residents and visitors at the Visitor Information Kiosk in Palisades Park. The occasion is a national concerted effort led by the U.S. Travel Association to shine light on what travel means to jobs, economic growth and personal well-being throughout communities across America.
“Just look at the numbers. Travel supports 15 million jobs in America, including 13,700 right here in Santa Monica,” said Santa Monica Mayor Pro Tempore Tony Vazquez. “This week and next, we are celebrating and sharing stories about what travel means to our community, and we call on everyone—from elected officials to local residents—to join us in saluting this important industry.”
Across California, travel employs a prosperous and diverse workforce, from airline and hotel employees, to restaurant, attractions and retail workers, and supports industry sections such as construction, manufacturing and finance. Some of the numbers:
Over 1 million jobs are supported by travel and tourism in California
$9.3 billion in state and local tax revenue is generated in California
The national figures are equally remarkable:
$2.1 trillion in economic output and $927.9 billion in direct travel-related spending in the U.S. by domestic and international travelers in 2014.
$141.5 billion generated in federal, state and local tax revenues in 2014.
15 million American jobs supported—8 million direct tourism jobs and 7 million indirect and 7 million indirect and induced jobs—good jobs with good pay that cannot be outsourced.
“The tourism industry has personally provided me with incredible work opportunities for nearly 30 years,” said Santa Monica CEO/President Misti Kerns “Regardless of your background, if you are hardworking, hospitable, and willing to learn, you can have a future in this industry. Many members of the SMCVB team live in Santa Monica and have witnessed first-hand the direct benefits of tourism including the countless Santa Monica businesses and jobs that are touched by the economic activity visitors bring. That is what Travel & Tourism Week is all about.”
Studies are showing that destination marketing does more than sell trips to a state or city. Besides inspiring travel, it also has a halo effect on the city or state, elevating impressions in a positive manner. A recent article in HYPERLINK "http://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewlevine2/2015/03/19/why-tourism-advertising-is-more-powerful-than-you-think/" Forbes features research from Longwoods International, a leader in public opinion research in the travel and tourism industry, that shows tourism advertising also improvwa consumer perceptions of a city and/or state as a good place to live, start a career, attend college, start a business, and retire.
“Our mission is strategically focused on attracting visitors who bring the most economic benefits to Santa Monica with the least environmental impacts,” said SMCVB CEO/President Misti Kerns. “However, it is exciting to think that the tourism halo effect may also be elevating Santa Monica’s reputation and spreading the long-term benefits of broader economic development across other industry sectors.”
Travel can also have a positive effect on personal well-being. A recent study by the U.S. Travel Association found that Americans left 429 million vacation days unused (the most in nearly 40 years) and forfeited $52.4 billion in time-off benefits. If workers took just one more day off each year, travel would generate $73 billion annually for the economy.
“Travel contributes to the fabric of America and continues to do wonders for our businesses and personal lives,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, the umbrella organization representing the travel industry in the U.S. “This weeklong celebration should extend to every day of the week to strengthen further our dynamic industry.”
On May 14, 2015, SMCVB will continue the celebrations with its 6th annual Travel and Tourism Summit at the Fairmont Hotel & Bungalows. During the event, SMCVB will release results from the 2014 Santa Monica Tourism Economic Impact Study, provide an update on its 5-year strategic plan, discuss the future outlook of the city’s travel landscape and unveil the destination brand refresh. Key speakers will include Santa Monica Mayor Kevin McKeown, Visit California CEO/President Caroline Beteta and representatives from SMCVB’s international agency partners. Two breakout sessions will be held after the main program focusing on “Where in the world is…Santa Monica CVB: how SMCVB is strategically reaching the trade, media and consumers” and “Developing Customer-Centric Digital Experiences”.
For more information on the 6th annual Santa Monica Travel & Tourism Summit and to RSVP, visit HYPERLINK "http://www.santamonica.com/summit-invite"www.santamonica.com/summit-invite.
Fabian Lewkowicz
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