Date: May 10, 2011
Written by: Tracy Austin, Communication Specialist, Odessa Chamber of Commerce
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Tracy Austin 432.333.7863 OR comspec@odessachamber.com
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Travel and Tourism = Big Business for Odessa
Odessa, TX - May 10, 2011:Travel and tourism is a $206M industry for Odessa, Texas, providing 2,320 jobs and generating $4.4M in local tax revenue. Travel is a broad and diverse industry employing a vast workforce, from airline and hotel employees to restaurant, attraction and taxi workers. But it further supports workers in other industry sectors, such as construction, manufacturing and finance.
This year, the Odessa Chamber of Commerce Convention and Visitors Bureau is conducting a text marketing contest offering participants a chance to win a new iPhone 4 simply for participating. From now through May 10, participants can register to win by texting Odessa to 24587. The drawing will be held on National Tourism Day, May 11. Also, the Bureau will host a reception for meeting planners at the South Forty Catering Company on Thursday, May 12 from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
“Travel is a force in America’s economy that is simply too important to ignore. It’s responsible for employing one out of every nine Americans, more people than other giants like the insurance or automotive industries,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, the umbrella organization representing the U.S. travel industry.
Travel and tourism generated $1.8 trillion in economic output for the U.S. economy in 2010. The industry also represents one of America’s largest employers, supporting 14.1 million jobs (including 7.4 million directly in the travel industry and 6.7 million in other industries). Direct spending by domestic and international travelers averaged $2 billion a day, $86.6 million an hour, $1.4 million a minute and $24,000 a second.
The U.S. Travel Association projects nearly 2 billion Americans will take a domestic trip this year, up about 2 percent over last year. International arrivals are expected to total 63 million in 2011, a 6 percent increase over 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Now in its 28th year, National Tourism Week celebrates the importance of tourism and the tourism industry. Established in 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation urging citizens of the United States to observe National Tourism week.
For more information, call (800) 780-4678 or visit the CVB website at: www.odessacvb.com.
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