WASHINGTON, DC � November 20, 2001 - U.S. President George W. Bush will appear in his first-ever advertisement encouraging Americans to start traveling again and see America as part of a projected $20 million domestic and international advertising campaign organized under the banner of the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA).

The ads are part of a broad Travel Industry Recovery Campaign and are funded by voluntary contributions from every segment of the U.S. travel and tourism Industry.  The U.S. travel industry hopes the ads will help Americans feel more confident  about traveling.  A second version of the ads was created to encourage international travelers to visit the U.S. 

President Bush appears twice in the :30 second TV spots encouraging people to begin traveling again as a way of bringing their lives back to normalcy after the terrorist attacks of September 11.  It features taped segments of the President speaking about the need for Americans to get on with their lives by traveling and seeing America.  It also includes brief segments of travel industry workers welcoming their fellow Americans back.   

�Travel is one of America's most fundamental freedoms, but sadly, it took the attacks on September 11 to remind Americans how valuable that freedom is to us,� said William S. Norman, president and CEO of the Travel Industry Association of America. �Thanks to President Bush, America has taken a major step forward in restoring confidence in the U.S. by encouraging Americans to reconnect with their country. The words of the President, perhaps as much as any of his actions thus far, have made a tremendous contribution to rebuilding the strength of our industry.�

According to a recent forecast from TIA's research department, domestic travel spending in the U.S. is expected to drop by $33.7 billion in 2001, a decrease of 7 percent over 2000.  The decrease is a result of traveler anxiety following the September 11 terrorist attacks and the slowing U.S. economy.  Prior to September 11 year-to-date performance by U.S. travel was equal to, or slightly above the previous year. 

More than $10 million will be committed to the domestic portion of the ad campaign starting November 21 and running for four consecutive weeks.  Spots will run on all three major networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) and morning shows and evening news shows.  The ads will also run during football games aired on ABC, CBS, FOX and ESPN.  More than 850 spots will air on cable news channels: CNN, MSNBC, CNBC and Fox News. 

International versions of the ad will also run in the United Kingdom, Canada, Asia and on pan-European channels such as Eurosport, BBC World and CNN International.  The international ads will run from November 21 to December 19 and are budgeted to cost $2.3 million.  

To date more than $12 million has been raised to fund the advertisements and the entire campaign is expected to reach $20 million before it is complete.  Marriott International Chairman and CEO Bill Marriott has been personally raising funds for this industry wide campaign on behalf of TIA and his company has supervised the production and media placement for the ads. 

This is not the first time a member of the Bush family has agreed to participate in an ad campaign for the U.S. travel Industry.  In 1991, following the Persian Gulf War, former President George Bush, the current President's father, was featured in a television ad that invited British travelers to visit the U.S.  That ad was also funded by contributions from the U.S. travel industry.

TIA is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the $584 billion travel industry.  TIA's mission is to represent the whole of the U.S. travel industry to promote and facilitate increased travel to and within the United States.