March 20, 2006

The 6th Global Travel and Tourism Summit will be organized by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). It will be co-hosted by the Travel Business Roundtable (TBR), of which the U.S. Conference of Mayors is a member, and the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA). The Summit, which will be held at the Washington (DC) Convention Center April 10-12, will bring together CEOs and Chairmen of the world’s most foremost travel and tourism companies, foreign Tourism and Health Ministers, senior U.S. government officials and influential journalists from around the world. The Summit will encourage a strategic vision that is necessary in the U.S. to move the industry forward thereby realizing the potential of travel and tourism to create jobs and prosperity across the country.

2006 marks the first time in its six-year Summit history that the WTTC has selected the United States as the site for its global gathering. This was a deliberate selection by WTTC, and symbolically underscores the pressing need to promote both incoming and out-going travel from the United States, the world’s largest single travel and tourism economy in the world. In an effort to increase cultural exchange, to promote better understanding between nations and to bolster economies through increased business and leisure travel, the Summit’s agenda will reflect topical issues surrounding travel, and the far-reaching economic impact the travel and tourism industry has on a wide range of business sectors.

Mayors are at the forefront of the U.S. travel and tourism debate, understanding the importance of the industry to state and local economies. As “chief marketing officers” for their cities, mayors understand that a downturn in travel and tourism receipts immediately affect a city’s bottom line. As such, mayors have a unique perspective and role in this developing dialogue and are both welcomed and encouraged to attend the Summit next month. The registration deadline is April 3.

For more information about the program and social events, visit the website www.globaltraveltourism.com. For information about registration, contact TBR Executive Director Courtney Fox at 202-408-2137 or send e-mail to CFox@tia.org.