The U.S. Travel Association has announced Travel Blitz, a 2013 grassroots advocacy program designed to illustrate and maximize the power of the $1.9 trillion travel industry—and its 14.4 million-strong workforce—to Members of Congress. It is also geared toward leveraging the strength of U.S. Travel’s 1,200 member organizations in pinpointing and fostering congressional advocates in key districts and states nationwide.
“The new Congress in Washington, D.C. is poised to wrestle with critical issues that will either drive or hamper our nation’s economic growth, and travel will figure prominently in much of the debate,” says Roger Dow, the association’s president and CEO. “Every congressional district in America can thank travel for jobs and economic activity, so we’ve designed a program to build our bench of champions in Congress, those members who will stand with us and play offense on policies to protect and stimulate increased travel.”
Travel Blitz builds off the foundation of U.S. Travel’s 2012 Vote Travel campaign, a national effort that emphasized travel’s importance to dozens of communities with a bus tour and public events with elected officials. In 2013, Travel Blitz components will include:
- In-district roundtables and meetings with Members of Congress and their staff;
- Back-of-house industry tours (at locations such as convention and meeting facilities, hotels and attractions) for Members of Congress and their staff to see firsthand the commitment and preparation that goes into building the travel industry’s growing workforce and the financial benefit that travel events have on local economies; and
- Local rallies in support of travel initiatives.
While Travel Blitz officially kicks off in January, a draft of grassroots activists is currently underway through U.S. Travel’s Power of Travel Coalition website (www.travelcoalition.org).