US Travel Announces Five-Point Plan to Get America Moving

Noting that job gains in the travel industry have outpaced other industries and that travel exports increased by more than 13 percent in 2011 to a record $152 billion, the U.S. Travel Association has introduced a five-point plan to continue boosting those numbers. The points are: 1) welcome more visitors to the United States, 2) reduce travel hassles, 3) keep America meeting, 4) lower energy costs for travelers, and 5) strengthen communities and families. For meetings-related efforts, the USTA has created a toolkit for industry professionals (available here) offering background materials (the Keep America meeting white paper and a meetings fact sheet) and suggestions for organizing back-of-the-house tours to introduce elected officials to the meetings process. It also provides information on how to conduct an in-district visit with elected officials and how to host a letter-writing day to let Congress know how important meetings and travel continue to be.