National Travel and Tourism Week is officially underway. These series of days celebrate our industry by promoting the importance of travel and its positive impact on not only the U.S. economy, but the world as well.

Curated by the U.S. Travel Association, the theme of this year’s national tourism week is the “Faces of Travel”. This event encourages national travel and tourism as a way to celebrate all the people who give the industry life, while also advocating the exploration of our great country and the world.

In honor of this wonderful event shining the spotlight on our thriving industry, we want to present the facts of Tourism Week, showcase how travel drives the economies of U.S. cities, and help you find a way that you can contribute!

What Is National Travel and Tourism Week?

This year, National Tourism Week occurs from May 7th to May 13th. Celebrated like a holiday, many cities around the country host events that promote the travel industry, including the National Travel and Tourism Week Celebration in Las Vegas, the 5th Annual OBX Tourism Summit in North Carolina, and the Pensacola Hospitality Lunch in the Square in Florida.

The event came to fruition due to a congressional resolution in 1983 to champion the significance of the industry. Since then, the U.S. Travel Association has featured a number of “tool kits” to shine light on the industry, including their Seven Ways To Celebrate document and their posts on Hosting a Successful Travel Rally Day. These events support the use of local tours and honor industry employees to demonstrate the importance of the industry in our economy.

Who Benefits From Tourism Week?

For a healthy number of cities in the United States, tourism is one of the major contributing forces driving the economy. Many major cities such as Las Vegas, New York City, and Orlando are the first to come to mind when we think of tourism. But many of America’s mid- to small sized cities, such as Boulder, Colorado, Napa Valley, California, and Mystic, Connecticut all rely on tourism as a major source of their income. Here is a rundown of some quick tourism facts:

• Tourism is the second largest industry in Colorado, with the industry contributing $420 million dollars in economic impact.
• In Connecticut, tourism is one of the state’s top six industries, with 50 percent of the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce members in tourism-related businesses.
• In 2015, Napa Valley received more than double the amount of traveler spending at $1.27 billion, with a total of $116 million in tax revenue.

Referring to the Economic Impact Reports generated annually by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Travel and tourism “generated USD $7.2 trillion or 9.8% of the world’s global GDP in 2015.” Based on the research conducted over 184 countries and 24 regions, in that same year, travel and tourism created an additional 7.2 million jobs to the global economy, “supporting over 284 million jobs worldwide.”

What Can You Do To Support NTTW?

In addition to job creation and the stimulating the economy, Tourism Week is the perfect excuse for people to simply go out and travel. Travel helps people connect with other cultures, countries, and people.

The timeshare industry is rapidly growing along with the travel industry as a whole. Buyers of timeshare resales can enjoy fabulous vacations year-after-year, contributing to the annual National Tourism Week celebration and creating an unforgettable experience for you and your loved ones during your travels. Browse our inventory of timeshares for sale and find a brand new vacation home at vastly discounted rates. The more you save on a timeshare resale, the more you’ll be able to contribute to the special National Travel and Tourism Week events. Help keep our economy strong and promote travel!