The campaign's simple message, "Thanks for Traveling,'' is incorporated into a logo that also includes the American flag. Designed for reproduction on banners, buttons, and bumper stickers, the campaign images can be accessed by the entire travel industry at www.thanksfortraveling.com and adapted for their particular promotional needs.

Reinforcing the nationwide sentiment that "we're all in this together," Choice Hotels International has launched an industry wide campaign -- Thanks for Traveling -- that thanks Americans for traveling in the wake of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), the United States Tour Operators Association and vacation.com are among the travel industry leaders endorsing the campaign and disseminating materials to members nationwide. Additionally, Choice's 3,300 domestic Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Clarion, Sleep Inn, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn and MainStay Suites franchisees will be hanging banners on both the exterior and interior of their hotels and will be distributing banners and other materials to travel industry partners in their communities. 

"The horrific acts of September 11 have united Americans in an unprecedented manner,'' said Chuck Ledsinger, president and CEO of Choice. ``Those of us who operate hotels, travel agencies, tour operations and other related industries are, first and foremost, Americans too. This campaign is our way of saying thank you to our fellow countrymen. We appreciate your business. We know these are troubled times - and we thank you for traveling.'' 

The promotional campaign, developed by Arnold Worldwide/Washington, Choice's agency of record, will also be incorporated into broadcast advertisements for the hotel chain to launch the week of October 8 on network and cable television, and in print advertisements to be inserted into national newspapers and magazines. 

The ``Thanks for Traveling'' campaign comes on the heels of Choice's matching fund drive for the American Red Cross; to date, more than $135,000 has been raised from Choice, its franchisees and associates to aid in the nation's rescue and recovery efforts. Additionally, Choice has extended its government and military per diem rate to include all available rooms at its hotels, making more rooms available at affordable rates for government and military travelers. 

"All of us want to do whatever we can to help our country at this time,'' said Ledsinger. ``President Bush has said the best way we can help is by getting back to `business as usual.' The Thanks for Traveling campaign is designed to encourage Americans to do just that.'' 

Choice Hotels International, the world's second-largest lodging franchisor, franchises more than 5,000 hotels in 43 countries under the Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Clarion, Sleep Inn, Econo Lodge, MainStay Suites and Rodeway Inn brand names.