By Tom McClimon
July 16, 2007

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, Chair of the Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment and Sports Committee, led his fellow Committee members through a discussion of tourism issues, the economic impact of the arts, and community trees programs. There were a number of resolutions on tourism and arts that the Committee discussed and approved.

Following a vote on the resolutions, Noel Irwin Hentschel, president, American tours International, shared with the mayors her thoughts on tapping new tourism markets. Ms. Hentschel was bullish on the future of the tourism markets and stressed the need for mayors to think regionally in their tourism marketing campaigns.

Nina Ozlu, chief counsel, Americans for the Arts gave a short overview of their third “Arts and Economic Prosperity” report. It showed that the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $166 billion in economic activity every year supporting over 5 million jobs and generating over $29 billion in government revenue. In short, as Ms. Ozlu stated, the “arts means business” to cities and the nation.

Kelly Cafferelli, executive director, of The Home Depot Foundation shared with the mayors the economic benefits trees have to cities. She also described some of the ways The Home Depot Foundation is working with cities to plant trees, including giving financial assistance.

The resolutions passed by the TAPES Committee were:

• Increasing International Travel to the United States Through Visa Reforms, Entry Improvements and Promotion

• Implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative

• Urging the Bush Administration to Enter Into a Bilateral Agreement to Expand Leisure Group Travel From China to the United States

• Economic Impact Study of the Nonprofit Arts and Culture Industry

• Future of Private Sector Giving to the Arts in America

• National Arts and Humanities Month

• Federal Funding for the Arts, Humanities and Museums

• Support for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

• Supporting Issuance of Postal Stamp in Honor of Mayor Tom Bradley

• The Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Program

• Combating the Emerald Ash Borer in Our Nation’s Cities

• Supporting Comprehensive Plan to Combat Global Piracy and Counterfeiting of Goods

• Support of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games