Thank you, Chairman Dorgan and members of the subcommittee for inviting me here today. It is an honor to represent the Lewis & Clark Fort Mandan Foundation and the State of North Dakota at this important hearing.

 

Let me say at the outset that I join with other members of the travel industry in heartily endorsing the recommendations of the Discover America Partnership and the USTTA, which have been lobbying for the return of a centralized, government-endorsed promotional entity to provide leadership in attracting international visitors to the United States.

 

The specific recommendations of the Discover America proposal, in particular, are well thought-out, prudent and will result in a very effective organization dedicated to promoting travel to our country. It is my fervent hope that these recommendations will be given serious consideration in the Congress. Thank you for thoughtfully considering these proposals.

 

North Dakota, in spite of a tourism marketing budget that ranks among the lowest in the nation, has been promoting itself to the international market for the past 15 years. With our limited resources, we have focused on Scandinavian countries in particular and as a result, North Dakota is now among the top five destinations for all Norwegian air travel.

 

Two weeks ago, North Dakota joined with our neighbors Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota, spending a week promoting the four state region to the travel industry of Denmark and Sweden. One of the ways that we are showcasing our region is comparing our geographic size, nearly 2 ½ times the size of Germany, with our low combined population—barley larger than Copenhagen.

 

This is what those Scandinavian visitors want to hear, that we offer a land of beauty with National Parks and other tourist destinations unspoiled by the traffic and crowds to which they are accustomed. What they are seeking, and what we offer in North Dakota and the other prairie and mountain states is THE REAL AMERICA.

 

Statistically, after foreign visitors have come to New York City, Disney World, Las Vegas or any of our other leading attractions, they are eager to see another side of our country. A land that spreads out in front of them on the blue highway with a vastness that takes their breath away. A land with more than terrific scenery, but incredible stories to tell. In North Dakota, we call it LEGENDARY. With Lewis and Clark, Sacagawea, General Custer, Sitting Bull and Theodore Roosevelt among our cast of legendary historic figures, you can see the attraction we offer foreign visitors, who are fascinated by the American West—the Real America.

 

When you make the decision to create a new centralized entity to promote international travel, please include in its charter that it promotes ALL of the United States, not just those metropolitan areas which appear to have the greatest appeal. We ALL have something to offer those visitors, each in our own unique way.

 

Not long ago, our Lewis & Clark Fort Mandan Foundation, which operates the North Dakota Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and the reconstructed Fort Mandan, the Expeditions’ winter home of 1804-05, hosted travel writers from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and France, all within a 10-day period. These nations’ travelers are hungry for information about our special part of America, and writers and photographers keep coming back, because they just can’t drink it all in during one visit.

 

My non-profit foundation cannot afford international marketing on our own. We rely on our state tourism division, which has a total budget of only $4 million a year. However, we have made the most of our limited resources, and by joining with a coordinated, national effort, we know that we can attract more and more visitors here.

 

I was asked what specific areas the federal government may assist our efforts. Let me give you one request. The effectiveness of any marketing campaign is built upon good, solid research. We must know what our best target market is, to maximize the utilization of resources. States need to better understand the habits and intentions of international travelers once they arrive on our shores.

 

For years, our industry has been asking Homeland Security for data which will tell us where foreign travelers are headed after they have entered the key ports of entry. This information is gathered, but not made available to the states. If we could simply get this information, where people are going after they have entered our gateways airports, this would be extremely valuable in knowing where to target our messages. We are not asking to compromise national security. We are not asking for names and addresses. This is not about tele-marketing. We just want the total numbers, by region. This seems a reasonable request for our industry to make, and one that I hope will be agreed upon soon.

 

Thank you again for inviting me here today, and for your commitment to America’s travel industry.