LA Tourism on the Descent
By Bill Karz • Feb 26th, 2007 • Category: green.
Councilmembers Tom LaBonge and Janice Hahn, citing a decline of 17% of the number of international tourists who annually visit the United States, recently introduced a council motion urging the formation of a Presidential Advisory Council on Travel and Tourism to counter this trend. The announcement was made at a Hollywood Chamber of Commerce media forum for national and international press that was held in conjunction with the Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday. They were joined by Mark Liberman, president and CEO of LA INC. The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau, that has expressed its support for such an effort.
A recently released study by Discover America Partnerships showed that the U.S. entry process has created a climate of fear and frustration that is turning away foreign business and leisure travelers and hurting our country’s image abroad. The council members said they will work with LA INC. along with the Travel Industry Association, to ensure that Washington designs and implements a ‘Visit America’ international advertising campaign while it works to overhaul the U.S. visa application process.
LA INC research shows that the greater L.A. economy is closely tied to international trade and tourism, accounting for approximately $4.3 billion annually.
While tourism to the city has rebounded after 9/11, the local economy is at risk if the United States continues to experience declines in international visitors. In the past 10 years, the world travel market has seen a robust growth of 52%, a great disparity with statistics on travel for the U.S.
Bill Karz is Managing Editor, LosAngelesNomad.com
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