Supporting the 20th Annual National Tourism Week.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman very much for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, the tourism and hospitality industry is important to the State of Florida. I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 172, a bill I introduced along with my colleague the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), recognizing the 20th annual National Tourism Week.

I see the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr) has joined us on the floor today.

The gentleman from California (Mr. Farr) and I from Florida both have worked with our colleagues to try to educate them about the importance of travel and tourism. It is the lifeblood of many States, like Florida and California, New York, and Nevada, to just name a few.

There are currently 7.4 million people in the food service, hospitality, and travel-related industries that rely on America's vibrant and thriving travel industry, which generates $170 billion in travel-related payroll.

National Tourism Week was first established in 1983, when the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution designating the week to be celebrated in May, 1984. This annual event gives us an opportunity to recognize the significant importance that the travel and tourism industry has on our economy.

As America's third largest retail sales industry, $96 billion was generated in tax revenues for our local, State, and Federal governments in 2002 alone. In addition, there were $7.5 billion in balance of trade surplus for the United States, making the industry one of our largest service exports.

It is clear, every congressional district is impacted, that is, every district with a restaurant, and all have them; a hotel, and all have them; a museum, and I am certain most have them; national parks; stadiums; theaters; campgrounds; and beaches. All obviously help local economies and local communities thrive.

As some of us begin our summer travel, let us remember the tremendous impact that the travel and tourism industry makes on all of our lives. I want to spend a moment, too, to commend this administration, President Bush; and the Secretary of Commerce, Secretary Evans; Brenda Becker, Assistant Secretary of Commerce; Senator Ted Stevens; as well as my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), in our recent quest to put $50 million in the budget in order to help stimulate, if you will, international tourism back to the United States.

As I am sure the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr) will tell us, our States have been hurt badly by September 11 and terrorism in general. People are nervous and they are fearful. We are doing everything we can to ensure airline safety and that when they arrive at a destination that they will be safe.

But we have lost, in Orlando alone, some 35 percent of the business that was occurring in that region of the State; so this is a very important issue. It is an important topic. It is one we are wrestling with.

Also, the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr) talks about his idea that he brought to us that hopefully will catch on where each Member of Congress writes in a book, if you will, a destination that they favor; they may not want to be that specific, but some of the joys and bounties and benefits of living in that community.

I know I have some of the greatest beaches. I have the Everglades. We have agricultural tourism, ecotourism. Certainly, we have things throughout the State, like Busch Gardens and Universal Theme Park and Disney. We

have the Latin music industry, where the capital of the world is Miami. We have South Beach.

I could go on and on, but now I am going to get in trouble because I am probably missing some of the important destinations: Destin; and all of the beaches in Jacksonville.

But suffice it to say that tourism is an important, important industry. Whether one is the CEO of a company or doing dishes in a restaurant, as I did when I was 13 years old, we are all playing a critical role in people's impressions of our State, whether they had a good visit, whether they enjoyed themselves, whether they will return again.

So I salute everyone, from the bellboy to the bell hop to the rental car agencies, who make the traveling experience fun, productive, and enjoyable for America's families and those visitors from outside the Continental United States.

With that, I thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) for his indulgence and certainly thank the committee for reporting this to the floor. I urge all Members to support this 20th Annual National Tourism Week represented by House Concurrent Resolution 172.

Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, Lisa Barkovic from my staff is with me. She, as well as your staff, I know have done a tremendous job in organizing several of our events.

I was remiss for not recognizing our individual staff. She is on the floor with me today. I know we have worked very closely with the gentleman's office; and the professional staff, those who work in our offices, do a tremendous job in helping us get ready for floor activity. I wanted to share that with the gentleman and with her, as well.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for yielding time to me, and I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley) for his kind remarks about our being co-chairs of the Congressional Tourism Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the 20th anniversary of National Tourism Week. As cochair of the House Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus, I am pleased to join my colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley), in proclaiming the 20th anniversary of National Tourism Week.

Tourism is the leading industry in America. In fact, it is the largest employer in America. I think oftentimes people do not think of it because it has never been defined as an industry, like the automobile industry, like the steel industry, like the electronics industry. This industry is made up of so many factors. It is made up of restaurants and museums and car rental companies and hotels and motels and sports arenas, ski shops, beaches, concert halls, parks, historic landmarks, campgrounds, and the list goes on and on.

If we put all of those together, we will have what we call the tourism industry. It is one of the most diverse sectors in the entire economy, with the single goal of making the United States the greatest place to travel, not only just to see, but to enjoy the incredible diversity and cultures of great America.

I do not think people just come to America from other countries to visit our beautiful spots, which obviously lure them, as we are lured to other beautiful places in the world. But they also come to know the culture of Americans and learn about how this country functions.

I happen to live in one of those towns, Carmel, California. I just got back from a trip to Europe; and everywhere I went, when I said where I lived in California, people knew where it was, though it is a small town of 4,000 people. I do not think it is just because Clint Eastwood was the mayor of my town. People have actually been going there for years and years. The city is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

But the point is that the mayor of Carmel told me that the number one request of the tourists of that town, of the city, was a copy of their zoning ordinance. So people are not just tourists for purposes of spending money and enjoying beautiful places; they are also thinking and they are looking and they are listening. In that way we are able to share this bounty of America and the bounty of the people.

The travel and tourism industry has faced unprecedented challenges in the last couple of years, first with the decline of confidence in the safety of air travel as a result of September 11, and then the struggling economy, which has diminished business travel budgets and decreased household discretionary income. If that were not enough, then we are more recently faced with the uncertainties of the war in Iraq, and SARS has taken its toll on this industry.

Congress has done something about it, though. It is not just enacting this resolution celebrating our National Tourism Week. We also last week had given a tax cut to the very wealthy in this country, and essentially the purpose of that tax cut was to leave money in people's hands so they would spend it.

I cannot think of a better way to spend it than for people to take their new money that they are going to get from the Federal Government in the middle of the summer and take their family on a vacation, or take friends, staff, and employees out to lunch or to dinner to thank them for working with them, and tell our friends how much we enjoy being their friend by celebrating in a place outside our homes, in a way that we can spend it with others.

Remember, these are also areas that are labor-intensive, where people are employed. It takes a lot of people to change beds, serve food, wash dishes, drive us around in buses, and so on. When we see these people, we should thank them for being in the travel and tourism industry. With that little bit of extra tax money, we should give them a bigger tip than we would have the year before. They need it, especially those families who lost the child care tax credits. Those poor kids are not going to be able to go to Disneyland, yet many people will be annually able to go to the very wealthy areas, Nantucket and so on.

I am hoping that the tax bill will end up being a good bill and end up putting more money in the economy, getting the tourism industry back on its feet, and certainly continue to be the largest employing industry in the United States, and an industry that will take care of everybody, so the rising tide will raise all ships. That is what I think the tax cut is supposed to do.

I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

I thank the gentleman very much. At the same time I recognize my staff, Tom Tucker, who came to me from being a concierge in a hotel, a great person to have as a staff member in the travel and tourism industry.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 172) supporting the 20th Annual National Tourism Week.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Con. Res. 172.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 172, introduced by my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from the State of Florida (Mr. Foley), supports the 20th annual National Tourism Week.

Mr. Speaker, the travel and tourism industry has promoted National Tourism Week every year since 1984, and rightfully so. The tourism industry provides nearly 8 million jobs and almost $100 million every year in tax revenue to this country.

Just like the Peace Officers Memorial Day, National Tourism Week was first proclaimed by a great President. President Ronald Reagan signed into law a resolution that urged citizens to commemorate National Tourism Week each May and encouraged appropriate ceremony and activities. Twenty years later it is timely to consider the anniversary of this resolution, because the recent lull in the world economy has devastated the travel business in this country. Overall, hopefully the next 20 years can be as successful for this giant industry as the last 20 have within.

I thank my colleague from Florida, where they host a great portion of our country's tourism, and many of our tourist dollars, including mine, for introducing this important measure.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of the House Concurrent Resolution 172.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley), elected in the same class in 1994, a tireless supporter for tourism and the arts here in the Congress since he arrived and the sponsor of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the dynamic economy of the United States that hopefully will be fueled additionally by this tax cut has provided a level of success in the United States that our forefathers really did not know. John Adams once said that he worked hard so his kids could enjoy their leisure time and could learn more about arts and history and see their Nation. In fact, that is what we can do today.

We have heard from the sponsors of this resolution about the beauties of Monterey and Carmel, California, pronounced ``Carm-el'' in Indiana, and the beauty of Florida and Palm Beach and the beaches of Florida. But tourism is important to each of our districts.

I grew up in the small town of Grabill, Indiana. We had a retail furniture industry, a furniture store there. When we realized we had more people coming in from Texas, in fact from Houston, Texas, than we had from the neighboring town of Leo, we decided that the Amish in the area were

drawing more tourists than regular shoppers, so we now have antique centers there and shops for people who visit relatives who come through the State of Indiana.

We have many beautiful things in my home State, as well. Tourism is a critical component for all of us in the United States. I represent the leading area for the majority of the RV manufacturers in America.

Nothing could be more important than putting more dollars in the hands of those who pay taxes. The people who pay the taxes get the tax dollars back. No longer is the Federal Government taking as much of their check. Now they have money to spend. They can get an RV, they can travel.

If we can also reopen the gasoline and energy markets of the United States and the world so that the travel dollars and costs go down, combined with the economic growth, combined with the tax cut, combined with people keeping more of their own money, hopefully we can get the RV industry back up, we can get the tourism industry back up, we can get the airlines back up, and we can help the hotel and restaurant industries of the United States.

This resolution, the 20th anniversary of National Tourism Week, is an important hallmark as we move towards an economic revitalization, and during these summer months towards America once again exploring the highways and areas of the most wonderful country in the world, the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support adoption of this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, National Tourism Week was established in 1983 when the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution designating the week to be celebrated in May of 1984. In a White House ceremony, President Ronald Reagan signed a Presidential proclamation urging citizens to observe the week with the appropriate ceremonies and activities. Industry leaders and public relations professionals were the first volunteers to manage the annual event.

By 1986, industry leaders had formed a permanent coalition which later became the Tourism Works for America Council. They opened a full- time office and expanded the concept into a year-round tourism awareness program. By then, hundreds of communities across the Nation were participating in the celebration and more participate each year.

The message during National Tourism Week is, come to see America and celebrate its vistas, its heroes, its culture and its heritage. National Tourism Week also serves to promote a wider understanding of the importance of travel and tourism as a major U.S. industry that is vital to the economic stability and growth of our Nation.

The interesting thing about tourism, Mr. Speaker, is that no matter where you go, there is always some additional interest, there is always a place. I have been amazed that no matter where I have gone throughout this country or throughout the world, there was something to see, something to learn, something to know, something to better understand. So the promotion of tourism is not only an economic, but also an educational enterprise.

I commend the gentleman for introducing this resolution and urge its swift passage.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), a sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I just associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from California and say that I am sure that having a fistful of dollars would not hurt his town; and if we had more fistfuls, there would be more tourism. I think this is a great piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of National Tourism Week. As a Representative from the State of Nevada, I understand first hand the importance of travel and tourism to the United States and our economy.

My hometown of Las Vegas is considered one of the most traveled to destinations in the world, earning its designation as the Entertainment Capital of the world long ago. Las Vegas has something to offer people of all ages. Everything from world class resort-casinos, to first class restaurants and shopping, and entertainment which includes concerts, production shows, and magic acts.

In 2002, more than 35 million people visited Las Vegas. Of that number, 5 million were convention and trade show delegates who left behind $5.9 billion in non-gaming revenue alone, helping to maintain the destination's year-round average occupancy rate at 84 percent. Tourism is the largest employer in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, with more than 25 percent of the population directly employed by the hospitality, gaming and recreation industries.

National Tourism Week is Las Vegas's annual opportunity to spotlight the role that tourism plays in the Nevada economy and to educate residents about the organizations that market Las Vegas to the nation and the world.