Annual State of the Travel Industry Assessment.
“I have seen this industry do extraordinary things. After 9/11, many said that our industry would never recover. But we did. With great focus and determination, we united to have our strongest decade ever. We made it through 9/11, the global financial crisis, and other health scares like Zika. We stick together when times are tough, and we celebrate the wins when times are good. And I think there are a lot of good times on the horizon for the travel industry. Thanks to all of our incredible industry partners, we are steering toward a future
that is brighter than we could have ever imagined. A future that is more globally competitive, innovative and dynamic. We should not singularly view the pandemic as a setback but as an opportunity to reimagine this industry to be stronger than before.”
Roger Dow, US Travel Association
U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow delivered an assessment and vision for the U.S. travel industry at the association’s annual State of the Travel Industry address on Wednesday, delivered via webcast from the National Press Club.
Said Dow: “We should not singularly view the pandemic as a setback but as an opportunity to reimagine this industry to be stronger than before.”
Dow acknowledged short-term priorities Congress and the Biden administration should act immediately upon to ensure an even recovery for all sectors of travel, while also mapping out a plan that looks beyond the pandemic to return the industry to grow and increase competitiveness for decades to come.
“Ed Bastian, President & CEO of Delta Air Lines, said at our Future of Travel Mobility event, we don’t have to choose between seeing the world and saving the world: we can do both…”
U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes joined Dow and offered remarks on the future of a rapidly evolving travel industry: “While the road to full recovery may be longer than we would like, we are already looking far beyond the pandemic to a brighter, more globally competitive, sustainable, diverse and innovative future for the whole of the U.S. travel industry,” said Barnes. U.S. Travel Association National Chair Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line, also spoke during the address and praised Dow’s 17-year leadership at the association.
Dow and Barnes highlighted the five key areas of focus that will drive the association and the broader travel industry in the months and years ahead:
- Workforce
- Facilitation and security
- The future of travel mobility
- Sustainability
- Diversity, equity and inclusion
“We have a robust policy agenda and a clear strategy to revive America’s travel industry, but Congress and the Biden administration must continue to work closely with the travel sector to help the industry bounce back quickly,” said Dow. Roger Dow also thanked U.S. Travel’s industry partners for their close collaboration throughout the pandemic, which strengthened and positioned the industry for future growth.
“There are a lot of great things ahead for travel and I know that together, this industry has the vision and determination to get it done,” Dow said.
U.S. Travel Association is a national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry. In 2020, travel generated $1.5 trillion in economic output and supported 11 million jobs, a drastic decline from pre-pandemic figures. U.S. Travel’s mission is to increase travel to and within the United States. Visit ustravel.org for information and recovery-related data.
Written by: Mark William Sheehan
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