Harry Mitchell, Representing Arizona's 5th District
Dear Gary,
As
you know, our tourism industry is one of the most important economic
engines in Arizona, creating jobs and investing billions of dollars
into our local economy. According to the Arizona Office of Tourism, total direct travel spending in Arizona
in 2008 was $18.5 billion, contributing $1.4 billion in local and state
revenues, and generating 166,900 local Arizona jobs. This translates
into over $50 million a-day being pumped into our state's economy.
According to the Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau, 16% of all jobs in Scottsdale are directly related to tourism with another 23% of jobs being impacted by the tourism industry. Just this week, the Phoenix Business Journal reported that the tourism sector in Scottsdale continues to struggle.
In these tough economic times,
this vital industry continues to suffer causing our local businesses to
shed more jobs and lose revenue, negatively impacting our overall state
economy. This is troubling for our district and our state, and I
believe that we must take action.
Increasing
promotional efforts to boost tourism have proven to be effective.
According to the Arizona Hotel and Lodging Association, every $1 of
marketing from the Arizona Office of Tourism generates $180 in direct
visitor spending and $14.95 in state and local revenue. While our state faces billion dollar deficits, for every $1 we invest in promoting tourism, $8 is generated into the state general fund.
This is why I cosponsored, H.R. 2935, the Travel Promotion Act, in the House of Representatives.
This legislation would provide a fiscally responsible way to reverse
the loss of overseas visitors since 9/11 by creating a Corporation for
Travel Promotion. This bill would be paid for by private sector contributions
and a $10 fee on foreign travelers from countries that do not pay for a
visa to enter the United States. I believe this is a sensible way to
encourage travel to Arizona at no cost to taxpayers.
As an added benefit, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill would help reduce the federal budget deficit by $425 million over a decade.
The
Travel Promotion Act has recently passed the Senate and is currently
working its way through the House. I believe that if we pass this
legislation, we can help bring travelers back to Arizona and provide
our local economy a much-needed boost.
As always, I look forward to being able to provide you with regular updates and continue our dialogue in the future.
Sincerely, Harry Mitchell
6:12:02 PM 
|
