U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke met today with the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board in New Orleans, La., to review the work being done by travel and tourism industry and government leaders, and to discuss how they can support the industry in areas impacted by the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill.
The travel and tourism industry is a significant contributor to trade and economic development in the United States, with one out of every 16 Americans working – either directly or indirectly – in travel and tourism related industries. In 2009, the U.S. travel and tourism industry generated nearly $1.3 trillion in economic output, supported 8.2 million American jobs and accounted for 24 percent of all U.S. services exports and 8 percent of total exports. The board will play a key role in the development of the administration’s export policies.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
