Secretary's Speech

U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez Cultural and Heritage Tourism Summit
Washington, DC

Thank you Congressman Porter.

Good morning everyone. It’s a pleasure to join our partners on the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities in welcoming you to this Summit.

I want to thank all of our sponsors, especially American Express, for their support. And I want to thank all of you for being here.

We’ve called you together to explore an important, but perhaps under-exposed, segment of the travel and tourism industry. And that is cultural and heritage tourism.

Through support of the Save America’s Treasures initiative and the Preserve America program, the Administration has been working to protect our history and to promote greater use of our cultural and heritage resources.

The best known sites throughout the country are well attended. But there’s a broad range of activities that are off the tourists’ beaten path.

Among these are theaters, art galleries, community celebrations, and historic places.

We want to ensure these local and regional activities show up on the travel and tourism map.

Given your expertise and experience, we believe you’re the best people to devise a national action plan to get this done.

There are two important components to this initiative: economic and educational.

Let me begin with the economic.

Today, the U.S. economy is the fastest growing major industrialized economy in the world.

In 2004, real GDP grew 4.4 percent, the fastest annual growth in five years.

Home ownership is at historic highs.

More Americans than ever are working.

The unemployment rate is 4.9 percent, below the averages of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

Household net worth at $50 trillion has never been higher.

And the travel and tourism industries are major contributors.

On behalf of President Bush and the Administration, I want to thank you and your industry for all you are doing to keep our economy strong.

According to the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, in the first six months of this year, travel and tourism generated over $1 trillion in revenues for local economies.

The industry directly and indirectly provides jobs for some eight million workers.

The Travel Industry Association of America reports that travel and tourism is the first, second or third largest employer in 29 states.

Tourism was certainly a critical factor in the economy and workforce of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region before Katrina and Rita.

TIA estimates the hurricanes cost New Orleans and surrounding areas 260,000 jobs and about $27.6 million a day in revenues.

Under President Bush’s leadership, and with the support of Congress and the outpouring of generosity by businesses, non-profits and individuals, the recovery is underway.

There is a lot to do. We’re still working to meet the immediate needs of those displaced. We’re helping others to get back on their feet.

But, people are beginning to return. And there are hotels and restaurants open.

We will rebuild better and stronger than before.

Let me just take a moment here to congratulate the Travel Business Roundtable and TIA for creating the katrinajobs.org website.

It posts travel and tourism job opportunities in the stricken areas and throughout the country. It’s a great way for those who’ve lost their jobs to find work.

I had the opportunity to meet with Roger Dow and Jonathan Tisch a few weeks ago. They told me what many in the industry have done to find and help their dislocated employees. This includes maintaining salaries and benefits.

Overall, business response to the tragedy has been overwhelming. They’ve donated hundreds of millions of dollars, medicines, transportation, goods and services and volunteers.

I came from the private sector. I’m very proud of how much the business community is contributing to the relief and recovery effort.

I truly believe that when the story of these hurricanes is written, that business will be among the heroes.

And while government must lay the groundwork and create the environment for business to succeed, the private sector will play a major role in the rebuilding.

Many firms are already realizing there may be no better opportunity for locating and investing than in the Gulf Coast region. These communities need everything.

New Orleans and the battered areas will be restored. It will take time. But they will reclaim their architecture, their history and their culture.

The Gulf Coast has always been a magnet for visitors. It will be again.

Our country is rich in local history and arts and cuisine.

Last year, over 46 million international visitors came to America. They spent $93 billion dollars in travel, accommodations, food, recreation and shopping.

Millions of them participated in cultural and heritage activities while here.

Travel and tourism is an essential element of our strong and growing economy.

It’s also an opportunity to educate and inform. And that is the second component of this summit.

We want visitors to hear about the men and women whose leadership, service and creativity make this nation a beacon of hope throughout the world, and such a wonderful place to visit.

Over my career, I’ve traveled to most of the world and across this great country.

What I learned was this: Travel builds bridges between people from different cultures – and from diverse and different communities. And it increases understanding.

Our goal here is to find new ways to open the door to the historic sites and cultural activities that define America.

We want to promote this legacy. We want to invite greater public participation. We want to stimulate new interest in the beauty of our country.

In doing so, we can generate jobs and opportunity. And we can be better prepared to protect this legacy for future generations.

Let me thank you again for coming together to create a tourism plan that includes our lesser known national treasures.

We look forward to working with you.

Thank you and God bless you.