National Travel and Tourism Week 2021: Santa Monica Celebrates the ‘Power of Travel’
National Travel and Tourism Week 2021 (May 2-8) spotlights the collective strength of the U.S. travel industry
SANTA MONICA, Calif., (May 4, 2021) — National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW), the annual celebration of the contributions of the U.S. travel industry, will spotlight the critical role that travel will play in driving economic recovery efforts and building the path forward through the theme Power of Travel.
Observed annually the first full week in May, NTTW was created by Congress in 1983 to elevate the economic power of travel in the U.S. The 38th annual NTTW (May 2-8) arrives at an opportune moment to recognize the importance to the U.S. economy of initiating a post-pandemic travel recovery.
“NTTW takes on a special significance this year as the travel industry looks to rebound quickly from the pandemic and accelerate recovery efforts,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. “The past year was incredibly challenging, but we saw the full power of the travel industry on display in the way we united and supported one another through this crisis.”
“Before the pandemic, travel generated $2.6 trillion in economic output, supported 17 million American jobs and delivered a $51 billion trade surplus to the U.S.—evidence of the outsized role the industry will play in America’s broader economic recovery,” said Dow.
According to the recent 2020 Santa Monica Tourism Economic & Fiscal Impacts and Visitor Profile Summary, Santa Monica experienced a 76% decline in total annual visitor spending of approximately $454 million in 2020 from $1.89 billion in 2019, a 67.9% decline in hotel tax revenue to the city of approximately $19 million in 2020 from $58 million in 2019, and a decline of 74% of jobs supported by tourism of about 3,000 in 2020 from 12,000 in 2019.
Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT) is saluting the power of travel by supporting its local hotels, restaurants, all visitor serving businesses and popular tourist destinations with a variety of recovery programs including promoting local hiring. Hospitality Job Fairs include nearly 40 new positions at Shutters on the Beach, more than 25 new jobs at Casa Del Mar Hotel by the Sea, and more than 200 Spring and Summer positions to be filled at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier on May 8 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., among others.
SMTT is exploring new formats in order to provide a safe experience for all to its Annual Tourism Summit and will be sharing a date soon. The 11th Annual Travel & Tourism Summit was originally scheduled for 2020.
Said Misti Kerns, President/CEO of Santa Monica Travel & Tourism: “Despite the hardships of the last year, Santa Monica Travel & Tourism is ready and eager to safely and responsibly welcome back visitors and help drive Santa Monica’s economic recovery efforts. National Travel and Tourism Week is an opportunity to remind visitors and residents of the incredible contributions of the travel industry not just to our local economy and workforce, but to our community’s identity and culture.”
Please visit ustravel.org/NTTW to learn more about National Travel and Tourism Week.
About Santa Monica Travel & Tourism
Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT) is a non-profit organization designed to increase visitor expenditures, tourism revenues and local employment opportunities through the promotion of Santa Monica as a travel destination. For more information visit santamonica.com, email info@santamonica.com, or follow SMTT on Instagram (@SeeSantaMonica), Twitter (@GoSantaMonica) or Facebook (@VisitSantaMonica).
