April 27, 2016
The Flint & Genesee Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is united with the tourism community to celebrate the 33rd annual National Travel and Tourism Week – May 1-7 – and what travel means to American jobs, economic growth and personal well-being.
“This week, we are celebrating what travel means to our community, and we call on everyone—from elected officials to local residents—to join us in saluting this important industry,” said CVB Director DeAndra McCain.
Across Flint & Genesee and Michigan, travel employs a prosperous and diverse workforce, from airline and hotel employees, to restaurant, attraction and retail workers, and supports related sectors such as construction, manufacturing and finance. Some of the numbers:
- In 2015, 4.6 million trips were made to Michigan as result of the Pure Michigan campaign and visitors spent $1.4 billion here.
- Flint & Genesee reported $129 million on overnight hotel room rentals in 2015.
These local figures are an important part of travel’s economic importance nationwide. For example:
- Travel is a $2.1 trillion in the U.S., with $927.9 billion in direct travel-related spending in the U.S. by domestic and international visitors in 2014, the most recent data available.
- These visitors support 15 million American jobs—roughly 8 million direct travel jobs, and 7 million indirect and induced jobs.
- Travel-related spending generated $142 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues in 2014.
- Without tourism revenue, residents would pay $1,147 more in federal taxes annually, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
In addition to its benefits for the local economy, travel can also have a positive effect on personal well-being for residents and visitors. Numerous research studies have confirmed the positive health effects of travel and time off, from reducing the risk of heart disease to decreasing depression. Using time off to travel with our families is good for everyone, especially our children—kids who travel with their families are more likely to attend college and earn more as adults.