Travel and Tourism Week Wins Record-Breaking Support

Representing the 14.4 million U.S. jobs supported by the U.S. travel industry, employees nationwide will rally on May 8 to highlight the jobs and economic impact created by travel, the U.S.Travel Association reports.

With more than 120 cities and states holding rallies and events, this year's National Travel and Tourism Week nearly doubles last year's participation and sets a new record, U.S Travel says..

"Travel and tourism supports 14.4 million jobs across the nation," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. "These rallies celebrate the benefits of travel to local communities and states, and they let elected officials and local citizens know that a vote for travel is a vote for jobs."

Many events will use the "Vote Travel" theme, which coincides with the U.S. Travel Association's year-long campaign to raise the travel industry's profile across the country and among policymakers during this election season.

"Travel is a broad and diverse industry employing a vast workforce, from airline and hotel employees to restaurant, attraction and retail workers. Travel further supports employees in other industry sectors, such as construction, manufacturing and finance,'' the association says.

"Travel is a force that can drive our nation's economic recovery. It is one of the healthiest sectors of our economy in terms of job creation and hiring, employing one out of every nine Americans," said Dow. "During this election season, we are galvanizing support and asking Americans to 'Vote Travel' and showcase the power of our industry and its impact on our economy."

Travel and tourism generated $1.9 trillion in economic output for the U.S. economy in 2011. The industry also represents one of America's largest employers, supporting 14.4 million jobs (including 7.5 million directly in the travel industry and 6.9 million in other industries). Direct spending by domestic and international travelers averaged $2.2 billion a day, $92.8 million an hour, $1.5 million a minute and $25,700 a second.

Visit www.ustravel.org.