Sep. 9, 2003 - The U.S. Travel and Tourism Promotion Advisory Board met for the first time Monday in New York, announcing plans to target five countries in a campaign that's expected to reinvigorate international travel to the United States.

The $50 million federally funded campaign will attempt to boost the tourism industry by focusing on potential travelers in Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany and Canada.

Jay Rasulo, chairman of the board and president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, joined U.S. Commerce Secretary Don Evans at Ellis Island to launch the effort.

Travel and tourism has lost billions of dollars since 9/11, and the future of the industry depends on how well America can woo back people from around the globe, Rasulo said.

The U.S. travel and tourism industry is responsible for approximately 17 million direct and indirect travel-related jobs in the United States and is the fourth largest export for the U.S. economy.

Overall international travel dropped 7 percent last year, on top of a 12 percent decline in 2001, reports the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. This year, it's down 8 percent, to 12.4 million visitors, and the long-range forecast is for a slow, gradual recovery.

The Los Angeles/Orange County area especially feels the pinch because it's a popular draw for international tourists. The area attracted roughly 4 million international travelers last year -- down 13 percent from 2001.

The advisory board is comprised of 15 senior U.S. travel and tourism industry executives. Rasulo recognized that this is the first time Congress has backed so much funding for this type of marketing effort.

Later in the day, Rasulo discussed the board's goals.

QUESTION: You said the United States needs to present a "bigger, brighter welcome mat" to international visitors. What will that look like?

ANSWER: "We're open minded and will not close any doors. But I'd say to expect an emotional campaign that represents America, the wonder of its people, the grandeur of America, its attractions and cities. And it will take all forms of media -- television, print, the Internet and direct. We're not precluding any form to get out the message: America is open to business."

Q: What kind of research will you use to target these five nations?

A: "We want to make decisions that are based on the timing and planning cycles of when each country would be the most receptive to messaging about visiting America.... I imagine there could be a different campaign in Japan than in the United Kingdom because culturally the expectations are quite different.

"Each country has a very different structure related to its tourism industry. For instance, in Germany 80 to 85 percent of travel is done through intermediaries (travel planners). In the United Kingdom, it's far less. The Japanese do a lot of group travel. Those factors will adjust the approach we take to each market, where we put our communications and the timing of the communication.

"In places where most travel is packaged by tour operators, you need to create demand and desire that goes right along with that. ... We will have to work closely with those intermediaries to make sure the timing of the campaign works."

Q: What role will the board play in this campaign?

A: "It's really to advise Secretary Evans on how the government can most effectively spend the $50 million. ... We would engage an agency, most likely, set the tone for the image piece and advise them on when the programs should go into the markets. Ten million dollars have been earmarked as funds that will be used to match private-sector commitments.

In Southern California, the Visitor & Convention Bureaus could put together a program and get matching funds. A subcommittee will work on that aspect." For more information, see the advisory board's Web site: http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/about/ us_promo_campaign/index.html.

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